Happenstance
by earthprincess4
Summary: *2nd place in AGUTM* Edward gets in a car accident from drinking too much at a party almost 1 year after his dad dies. He is sentenced to community service at a local soup kitchen where he meets Bella and finds what he needs to begin to heal-CONTINUING
1. Chapter 1

**UPDATE:** I am thrilled to announce that my story got **2nd place** in the Anything Goes Under The Mistletoe challenge. I was completely shocked. I did not expect it at all.

**The Sandbox Presents: Anything Goes Under the Mistletoe**

**Author: **earthprincess4

**Story Title: **Happenstance

**Rating:** T

**Vamp or Human: **Human

**Number of Words (not including A/N or header/footer):** 14,972

**Disclaimer:** I don't own twilight or its characters, Stephanie Meyer does.

**Please visit the Anything Goes Under The Mistletoe C2 to find more contest entries --**

http://www (dot) fanfiction (dot) net/community/The_Sandbox_Presents_Anything_Goes_Under_the_Mistletoe/76627/

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I never cared for much of anything in my life except for my car. My father gave it to me on my sixteenth birthday. Six months later, he died suddenly from a heart attack. He was only 46 years old and he was all I had. My mom died when I was just three months old from Cancer. She was diagnosed shortly after she found out she was pregnant with me, and she refused to take any medications for the cancer while pregnant. Her doctors advised her to terminate the pregnancy and to fight for her life but she wouldn't. She spent her last few months fighting every day so I would survive. Once I was born she didn't have any fight left for herself, and she died three months later. To this day, I don't know how much time she was actually able to spend with me during those three months after my birth. I have no memories of her except the stories my dad told me, but he never said much about the time she was pregnant or the time afterwards. Instead, he chose to tell me stories of their life together and how happy they were to be having a son.

After my dad died, I was sent to live with my Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle in this Podunk little town in the state of Washington, called Forks. Who in their right mind named a town Forks? My aunt and uncle had been married forever, it seemed like, and they longed to have kids but were never able to. I didn't know why and I didn't pry, but I was always curious. I came here to live with them on Christmas Day. They treated me like a little kid and had so many gifts for me. They seemed so happy and excited I was here. I didn't understand their happiness while I was dying inside.

I grew up in sunny Southern California, so abruptly moving here in the middle of winter was quite the shock. I was acclimating to the climate change well, although fitting in with the locals was a different story. I had been here for only a year and I had gotten in more trouble in that short amount of time than I ever had in my entire life. I guess you could say I fell into the wrong crowd the minute I got there.

Mike Newton and Tyler Crowley were my only friends, and they weren't the _best_ type of friends, so to speak. They kept me well supplied in the drugs and alcohol department, which is the reason my car came to play such a large roll.

One night in early November, after a crazy party that Mike and I attended in Port Angeles, I had drank a little more than I thought I had and wrapped my car around a telephone pole. Everyone was surprised that we had survived such a gruesome accident and walked away, for the most part, unscathed. Hell, even I was surprised. You would think experiencing a miracle of this magnitude would be a huge eye opener and make me change my ways, but it wasn't. I did everything one can imagine that, in normal circumstances, would have probably killed whoever it happened to. But for whatever reason, I was still here. I never died or even came close to dying. For some reason, there was an indestructible force that surrounded me, and no matter how much I tried, I never died. It's not that I particularly wanted to die or set out to die, but I didn't care if I did or not.

Esme described each incident that I had gotten myself into and survived as a miracle. But I just saw it as another big joke that whatever higher power existed was playing on me.

Esme and Carlisle yelled and screamed and threatened to send me away to get help after this latest incident. I didn't care, though. I didn't listen to any of it and, really, I had no interest in being helped. The judge was lenient on me. I am sure there was some bribery involved to get me off easy, and I had no doubt it was Carlisle's doing. He used the same lines every time I got into trouble. "His dad and only parent died recently, and he had to move here. We're trying to get through to him, but he's having a hard time at it. He's just a messed up kid trying to figure out where he belongs." He was right in some sense: I was a messed up kid, but I wasn't trying to figure out where I belonged. I was trying to figure out why the hell I was still here. Why was I left behind?

The judge gave me a hefty fine, which I was sure Carlisle would take care of, and six weeks of community service. I figured I would be on the side of the road in a little orange vest picking up trash. That would be easy; I've done it before. But not this time; the judge had a different plan. He decided I needed to work at a local soup kitchen for the homeless and less fortunate that was being run at a church. I scoffed at the idea at first, but the judge gave me a pointed look that only could mean he was serious and I had better be careful if I didn't want to end up in jail. I shut up. I didn't care if I went to jail or not, but the longer I could stay out, the better.

Carlisle dropped me off my first day working at the soup kitchen. I was tempted to call Tyler or Mike to have them pick me up and skip out on this whole crazy idea. What was I going to do in a fucking soup kitchen anyways? I walked in the back door and introduced myself to the gray-haired, wrinkly old woman named Sue, who met me there. She gave me the once over with a look of disgust, then showed me where to put my stuff and handed me an apron. I laughed and raised an eyebrow at her. There was no way in fucking hell I was going to wear an apron. I was pretty sure this was going to be my last day coming here. Jail would be much easier than this.

I grabbed the apron roughly and followed her into the kitchen, where she told me to wait by the sink until my trainer got there. My trainer? Who was my trainer, and what were they training me to do? I was getting more freaked out as every second passed by before I would meet my "trainer." I glanced around at the people here and noticed that there were four older women who were busy cooking. One was Sue, but I had yet to meet any of the others, and I didn't think they had any interest in introducing themselves to me. I caught a couple of them glancing my way occasionally, and when our eyes met, they would turn away quickly, pretending like they hadn't looked my way. They seemed to be scared of me. I wondered what they were afraid I was going to do— not like I could go wrap them around a telephone pole or something. I wasn't a dangerous criminal or anything. I was content in hurting myself, not others.

I turned toward the sink, trying to hide slightly as I took the bottle of vodka out of my inside jacket pocket and tipped it back, taking a big swig. I needed something to get through this night. As I placed the cap back on the bottle and secured it back in my jacket, I heard a sweet, musical voice speak behind me.

"Sorry, I'm late. I had to pick up my dad's prescription at the pharmacy and, of course, there was a long line, considering it's flu season." I recognized the voice instantly, but I wouldn't say I was excited to hear it. I turned around to face her.

"Isabella Swan," I taunted. "I should have known Miss Perfect would be here." She glared at me, as did the other four ladies. I could tell they were protective of her.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked with anger in her tone. I didn't answer; instead I swallowed hard and looked around at everyone's faces.

Sue walked over to Bella, giving her a welcoming hug and warm smile, then whispered, "He's all yours," in her ear. Great, that must mean she's my trainer. I watched as she put her apron on, turning slightly red across her cheekbones as she glanced in my direction through her hair. She took a deep breath and walked across the kitchen, where I was leaning against the counter.

"You need to put that on," she ordered, gesturing to the apron I still held bunched up in my hand. I huffed but did as she said. The sooner I got all this over with, the sooner I could do the next fucked-up thing that would most likely land me in jail or, better yet, dead.

She waited while I put it over my head and tied it loosely in the back. She rolled her eyes and surprised the shit out of me when she flipped me around and tied the bow tightly around my waist. I moaned suggestively as she pulled the strings tighter. She sighed in disgust. "You're such a pig." She walked out into the main hall and I followed behind, laughing.

"People will be showing up in about an hour. They come through those doors and line up along the wall. Once the window to the kitchen is opened, Sue, Emily, Charlotte, and Mary will dish up their trays as they pass by. Then, everyone finds a place to sit and eat and warm up a little by the fire. They chat with friends, go through our clothing closet if they need something. Then, around seven, we shut down and everyone goes home. Our job is to wipe down the tables and benches before and after they get here and wash their trays and dishes as they finish. They'll bring over their dishes to the washing station over here." She motioned to a small opening in the wall that was similar to where she said food would be passed out, but smaller. "Once all the dishes are done and put away for the next time, we can go home."

I nodded my head in understanding. It seemed easy enough. She walked back in the kitchen and grabbed two towels and a spray bottle of cleaner. She thrust one towel at me and I followed her lead in washing the tables. So far it wasn't so bad. I could get through the next six weeks easily.

Once dishes started getting passed through the window, I was overloaded with work; I realized I was wrong—the next six weeks were going to be brutal. I caught Bella laughing at my obvious lack of knowledge when it came to washing dishes. All she was doing was taking the trays and putting them in their correct bin for me to wash and chatting with the people who came over. She was so polite to every one of them, even if they looked horrible. Some of the men were dirty and smelled bad like they hadn't showered in weeks, maybe even months. Others had missing teeth or none at all. Some recognizably had something seriously wrong with them. There were quite a few little kids running around, as well. After a while, when most of the trays were delivered, Bella walked out into the hall and gathered all the kids into a circle and began playing games with them, giving the adults a chance to talk or look through clothes like she had said. Unfortunately, I was stuck in here trying to figure out how in the hell I was going to get all of these dishes washed by seven.

By the time people started leaving for the night, Bella finally came back in and helped me finish up. She was quick and good at what she did. I think she washed more dishes in the small amount of time she had been helping than I had the entire night.

Once we were done I headed outside to wait for Carlisle. I was covered in dirty water and leftover food particles. I felt grimy and sweaty. All I wanted to do was go home, take a shower, and have a couple of drinks and pass out for the night.

I watched as Bella hugged each of the ladies good night before she jumped in an old, beat-up, faded red truck. She fired up the engine, which was loud and choked a little. I stifled a laugh at how ridiculous she looked in the monstrous thing. As she pulled out of the parking lot, she turned in my direction and waved lazily before turning onto the street.

I didn't really know a lot about Bella Swan, other than she was a straight A student; she probably had the best grade point average in the entire school. She was a little shy and kept to herself most of the time. She never did anything wrong, always followed the rules, and did everything she was told to do — basically the perfect child in everyone's eyes. I didn't have anything against her other than my irritation for how she made everyone else look bad, but I saw something else tonight. She was caring and nurturing, even when it came to people who most would avoid at all costs. I didn't understand it or know why she was that way, but it was intriguing, to say the least.

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights I showed up at the church and did my job, even though I hated it. On more than one occasion I was tempted to walk out, but for whatever reason, I stayed. Maybe I was afraid of disappointing Esme and Carlisle, or maybe I didn't want to end up in jail. But, whatever the reason, I stayed. As time went by, I got better at what I was doing and was actually able to keep up with Bella and not end up a watery mess in the process. She didn't talk to me much, and I wasn't really interested in striking up a conversation with her anyway. But sometimes the silence was uncomfortable, so I would ask her stupid questions like what her favorite color was just to get through the hours. When she told me her favorite color was green, I asked her why, but she refused to offer an explanation. It seemed like an odd favorite color for a girl. Weren't they supposed to like pink or purple? I didn't have much experience when it came to girls, so maybe I was wrong. Like I said before, I'm happy just hurting myself; there was no reason to bring a girl into the mess I called my life. So I didn't date or pay much attention to the girls in Forks. There was one girl in California who I dated for a while. Her name was Tanya, and we were neighbors. We walked to school together, every day since kindergarten. For the most part, we were only friends, but as we became teenagers things changed. I didn't understand why they changed because I much preferred her as a friend than a girlfriend, but she wanted more so I gave in. When I left, she didn't even say goodbye. I sent a letter to her once I arrived telling her all about my new home, but there was never any reply. I guess I was only good to her if her friends could see me with her.

I got through my first three weeks at the soup kitchen and only had three left. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't counting down the days until I could be done. I just wanted all this to be over with so I could get my car back. Carlisle had fixed my car while I was doing my community service, but I couldn't have it back until I was done.

On my fourth week, Carlisle explained before he dropped me off that he had to work late and that Esme would come get me once she got off work, but she might be a little late. Great, I thought, nothing like standing in the freezing cold for who knows how long, waiting for my aunt to pick me up. He could have just given me my fucking car back and let me drive myself.

I walked in the back door and saw all the ladies shoot glares over at me. I didn't understand why they still did that. I was never mean to any of them—except maybe that first day, when I was a little rude to Bella. But I was trying to be polite, considering we had to work with each other. Plus, I thought if I did any more teasing at her expense, those ladies would skin me alive.

I rolled my eyes at them, grabbed an apron and headed past them to the main hall. Bella was already there washing down the tables and asked me to set out the salt and pepper shakers and napkin holders.

I did, and then I walked over to my post in the washing area. The first half hour was always the most boring. I had nothing to do but watch as people came in, filled their plates and sat down at the tables. Bella greeted every one of them as they walked in and shook the hands of any newbies. It was like a big ol' family reunion or something.

Later in the night, when Bella finally joined me in washing dishes, I asked her the one question I had been wondering since day one.

"Why are you always so polite to all of them?"

"All of who? she questioned.

"All those homeless people," I said, with my nose turned up in disgust.

"Why shouldn't I be nice to them?" she countered. "They're nice to me and haven't done anything wrong. Should I be mean to them just because they don't have money?"

I stared at her in disbelief, not sure how to answer her questions… Or, maybe they were rhetorical questions and she didn't want an answer.

"And, for your information, they aren't all homeless," she added.

"What do you mean, they aren't all homeless?" I asked. "Isn't that what this place is about— helping the homeless?"

"No, it's about helping people who are struggling in their lives for whatever reason and giving them a sense of hope and comfort," she explained. She stared at me like she was mad or upset that I would even need to ask that question. But honestly, I didn't understand and she didn't really answer my original question either.

When I was done with yet another day, I went outside and sat down on the bench to wait for Esme. I took out the bottle of vodka from my jacket and started downing as much of it as I could. I needed to stay warm somehow. The old ladies and Bella came walking out shortly after and casually conversed in the parking lot before they said their goodbyes and got in their cars to leave. Bella's truck roared to life, and she sat in the parking lot longer than anyone else did. I figured it was because she had such an old truck that it took longer for her defrost to kick in, considering there was a couple of inches of snow on the ground now.

I took another swig from the bottle of vodka, wrapped my coat around me tightly, leaned my head back against the brick wall of the church, and closed my eyes.

"Hey," I heard the familiar voice shout out. I opened one eye, cocking my head slightly to see who she was talking to. I was surprised when I saw she was looking in my direction, leaning out of her window. I sat up and glanced around to make sure she was talking to me. "Edward, do you need a ride somewhere?"

"My aunt's coming to get me," I replied.

"When is she coming?" I shrugged my shoulders because honestly I had no idea what time she planned to come. Carlisle said after she was done with work, but sometimes she worked pretty late. She was an interior designer and occasionally she would get carried away with sketches of her newest decorating vision and lose all track of time. "I can give you a ride if you want," she offered. I stared at her for a few seconds, wondering if maybe I should. I probably shouldn't, considering Esme could very well be on her way and if she found me gone she would most likely panic. But I did, anyways.

I walked over to the passenger door and got in. She watched as I climbed in and shut the door. "Put your seatbelt on, please," she demanded. I rolled my eyes and did as she asked. She pulled out of the parking lot onto the road and headed out of town.

"Where am I going?" she asked.

"Turn left on the 101 and I'll tell you where to turn next," I said. She nodded her head and started driving out of town. We sat in complete silence for a good amount of the drive.

"Do you mind if I turn the radio on?" I asked. "I don't like the silence."

"I don't care. Do whatever you want."

I turned the dial and began searching for a station that came in on her old radio. It was probably the original stereo that came with the truck, it was so old. I finally settled on some soft classical music. She glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow.

"What, does this type of music bother you?" I asked.

"No, it's great," she said. "It's just not what I expected from you."

"I like it. It reminds me of my dad," I offered, not waiting for her to ask the question. My dad was a man of routine and every day after work he would come home, open a beer, turn on some classical music and start going over his files for whatever case he was on at the time. He was a family court attorney, and sometimes there were some pretty big cases that he worked on.

When I was a kid I hated listening to the classical music. I always thought it was so boring and I didn't understand how he ever stayed awake during it. But now, I've come to appreciate it and actually enjoy listening to it on occasion. Plus, it was about the only station that came in on her radio.

I laid my head back on the seat and closed my eyes, listening to the soft music and remembering my dad sitting in his study, until the music was interrupted by a shrill ringing. I shot up, looking around for the cause of the sound. I saw Bella fumble for something in her bag and she pulled out a cell phone.

"Hello," she answered. "No, I can't. I just got out of the soup kitchen." I watched as she spoke to whoever was on the line. She sighed heavily. "Fine, I'll be there soon." She snapped the phone shut and placed it on the seat.

"Do you mind if I run home first? I need to pick up a couple of things, and I don't want to come all the way back across town."

"Sure," I said. I was curious who it was on the phone, but I didn't ask. She seemed irritated with whoever it was, though.

We pulled up in front of her house and she grabbed her bag. I had planned to stay in the truck, but she offered for me to come in, so I followed her. We walked in and were greeted by a gruff but pleasant voice coming from the living room. She took her coat off and placed it on the hook by the door and walked toward the living room.

"Hi, Daddy," she said, placing a kiss on top of his head. I walked slowly over to the entrance and saw a man with dark hair with a few strands of gray mixed in and a full mustache across his face. He was sitting in a wheelchair watching a basketball game on TV. He glanced over at me and then back at Bella with questioning eyes.

"Daddy, this is Edward Cullen. Edward this is my dad, Charlie," she introduced. I crossed the room and extended my hand to his.

"It's nice to meet you, sir," I said.

"Likewise," he said. He wasn't being very sincere, but I didn't blame him. Everyone knew who I was and knew I was a bad kid. I'm sure he didn't like that I was with his daughter at the moment.

"We go to school together, Dad. He's been helping out at the soup kitchen and he needed a ride home. Jessica called and asked if I could come into work for a couple hours, though, so I had to stop by and pick up my uniform before I drove him home." I was surprised she used the words "helping out" instead of what it really was. I'm sure he knew the real reason I was there, and it had nothing to do with helping out. He nodded his head in understanding and looked me over from head to toe. I got the impression he was wondering if he could take me, which I found odd since he was in a wheelchair.

I waited by the door as Bella ran upstairs to get her stuff, and then she bid her dad farewell and headed out the door. I tipped my head toward him as I walked out and saw a flash of warning come over his face. Warning about what, though? I wasn't planning to corrupt his precious daughter or anything.

We climbed back in the truck and headed back out on the road.

"My dad likes you," she said. I laughed loudly.

"What makes you think that?" I asked. I wondered if she happened to see the same looks her dad was giving me as I did.

"If he didn't like you he would have asked you to wait on the porch." I shot my eyes to her, and she met my gaze with a wide smile. "He did that once to a boy I brought home. I had been seeing this guy named Jake for a while and I finally decided to bring him home to meet my dad, and they didn't get along from the moment we walked through the door. Jake was rude and arrogant, and he had no manners whatsoever. My dad kicked him out and told him to wait on the porch like the dog that he was. I tried to defend him and make my dad understand that he wasn't always like that, but he didn't buy it." She laughed at the memory. "I think that was the first and only argument I had with my dad. But he was right and I knew it, so we broke things off."

"Well, maybe the reason your dad didn't kick me out is because _we_ aren't seeing each other. Hell, I don't even know if you would consider us friends," I watched her smile fall, and she turned to look straight ahead again.

"You're probably right."

I felt guilty for saying it — I mean, we weren't seeing each other. I had no interest in her that way, and we weren't close where people would think we were friends. At school she ignored me and kept to her own social group as did I, but I could tell that what I said hurt her feelings.

"What happened to your dad?" I asked, changing the subject.

There was a sadness that came over her face. I felt even worse for bringing up that topic.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's fine." She took a deep breath before she began. "He was shot in the line of duty. He was the police chief, before you moved here. The bank was robbed by two guys who were passing through about a year ago. There was a car chase and everything. It was quite an exciting topic for people to talk about for weeks. But for the people who were actually involved, it wasn't so great." She let her sentence end there. I knew there was more but I didn't ask.

"What about your mom? Where's she?" I questioned. Her face fell into sadness even further and I felt stupid for digging myself deeper into a hole.

"My mom left when I was little and I haven't heard from her in 10 years. She had an affair with a co-worker, and when he got offered a better job down south somewhere, she went with him. I guess in a way she chose him over me. It's always just been me and my dad ever since." There was an uncomfortable silence that came over the cab of the truck. I pointed out the road ahead where she needed to turn.

"So what about you? What are you parents like?" she asked, breaking the silence. It was the wrong question to ask and I didn't want to tell her, but I guess she did tell me about her parents, so I explained how both my parents had died and that I now lived with my aunt and uncle. We didn't talk the rest of the way to my house. I think we were both feeling uncomfortable with revealing so much of ourselves to someone who technically wasn't even a friend.

I got out of the truck when she pulled up to the front of my house and thanked her for the ride.

When I had to work at the soup kitchen again, Bella and I barely talked at all. I still felt weird around her, like I knew something about her I shouldn't and that I didn't want her to know I knew, although she was the one who offered the information.

"Bella… Edward," Sue said, getting both of our attention. "There's an annual banquet being held at the lodge next weekend for community service programs, honoring us for what we do. I was wondering if either of you would be interested in attending.

"Of course, Sue, I'll be there," Bella said, quickly.

"What about you Edward? Would you like to come?" Sue questioned. Her expression told me to say no, but Bella's eyes were pleading for me to say yes. I listened to Bella.

Sure, I can come," I said. Sue looked irritated but she didn't say anything. Bella looked excited. I smirked at her obvious joy and went back to washing the dishes.

"You'll have fun," she said. "They always serve great food and have great door prizes and awards to give out. It'll be great."

I nodded my head and smiled at her. "Great," I mocked. She blushed and looked away. I tried not to laugh at her, but it was hard not to. She dipped her hand in the water and splashed a good amount of it toward me. The water hit me across the chest and face. I was in utter shock, and all she could do was laugh as I stood there dripping all over the floor. I grabbed a handful of suds out of the sink and walked a few steps toward her.

"Don't you dare," she warned. I smiled deviously at her as I held the suds above her head. She backed up quicker than she should have as I came toward her because the next thing I knew she was falling and pulling me down with her. We both hit the floor with a thud and soaked up all the water we had spilled with our backs. We glanced at each other for a quick second and began laughing hysterically. I guess we were laughing kind of loudly because shortly after it all happened Sue came in the small room with her arms crossed and gave us both the evil eye. I think she may have even been tapping her toe. We stopped laughing and Bella began apologizing to her profusely. I jumped to my feet and reached out a hand to help Bella up. We finished up the dishes, trying our best not to laugh at how ridiculous we looked. When we were done, she offered me a ride home again and I accepted.

There was something different about our connection now. I don't know if we were becoming friends or what, but I liked being with her. She made me laugh and forget about everything that depressed me. We joked back and forth and told each other crazy stories about our pasts. We even began saying hi to each other in the halls at school.

I remember the day it happened. I was walking down the hall with Tyler while he told me about this huge rave that was happening in Seattle on Christmas Eve that he wanted us to attend. I looked up and saw her walking toward us, lost in conversation with a group of friends. As she got closer I simply said, "Hi, Bella," and smiled. Her eyes shot up to mine in absolute shock.

She smiled back and said the same simple words I did, "Hi, Edward." That's all it took. It was our silent way or declaring ourselves friends. My heart skipped a beat at that thought. She wasn't a screw up like me or Mike or Tyler. She was simple, caring and perfect in all intents and purposes. Yet, she still wanted to be my friend, even though most people would do anything to avoid me. She saw me differently than anyone else ever had.

The week of this big banquet we were supposed to go to all the old ladies were buzzing about who would be there. Mayor Aro, Judge Laurent (who I knew well), the volunteer firefighters, the community watch program—I could tell this was a big deal for the town, and everyone got dressed up in fancy dresses and suits like it was the prom or something. I hadn't worn a suit since my father's funeral. But, I dug it out of my closet and asked Esme to have it cleaned for me. She obliged and sent it to the cleaners that very day. Both she and Carlisle seemed to be happy with my sudden change in appearance and attitude. I hadn't been drinking or doing any drugs for the last week. I didn't feel the need to anymore. When I was with Bella, I didn't have to hide from anything and I didn't feel sad.

Bella asked me if I would be willing to come to the church a little early that week so she could decorate the hall for Christmas. I met her there about two hours early, and we spent all afternoon hanging lights and garland. She even brought in a small Christmas tree with all kinds of art supplies that she said were for the kids to make Christmas ornaments. She made a point to hang mistletoe in as many spots as possible. She said that some of the crowd got a kick out of it and the kids would try everything to avoid it in fear of getting kisses from the grown-ups. But it was all in good fun, so everyone played along. I could tell she enjoyed Christmas very much, and I couldn't help but smile and feel elated with her happiness. This time of year should have been depressing for me because my dad died just a few days before Christmas, but it wasn't when I saw how happy it made her.

I could tell Bella anything, things I couldn't tell Mike or Tyler or even Esme and Carlisle. But she always knew exactly what to say to make me feel better—like the day I told her how I wondered why I was still here and why I was left behind. She explained that it wasn't that they left me behind, but more that they didn't have a choice, and they loved me enough to want something better for me— not to follow them. Bella asked me, "Do you think your parents would want you to willingly die to join them, or do you think they would want you to live a full and happy life and become something they can be proud of?"

I had never thought of it before. My mom had cancer while she was pregnant. Even though she knew she would die, her only thought was giving me life. My dad did the same thing. He did everything in his power to give me anything I would need growing up. He never once blamed me for the death of my mother, like I had. And when he died, he left behind an inheritance in my name to provide for me as I got older. He wanted me to go on and make something of myself, and he made sure that was possible. But how could I be anything worthwhile with the way my life had gone?

On December 16th, I went to school and tried to go about my normal routine, but it was hard. It had been one year since my father's death and I was a mess. Esme tried to convince me to stay home, but I didn't want to be in the house by myself. It would be too quiet and I didn't like the quiet. I kept thinking back to that day when I was called to the office at school and they informed me that my dad was in the hospital and I needed to leave right away. By the time I got there, he was already gone. I never had a chance to say goodbye to him or apologize. I remembered the funeral. I sat in the chair next to Carlisle, staring at the coffin and waiting for my dad to pop out and tell me it was just a big joke. I don't think I even cried. I sat there silently as people I didn't even know walked up and gave me hugs, whispering some sort of sorry into my ear. It was the most irritating thing to hear people say they were sorry. What were they sorry about?

"Edward," Bella said quietly. I finally came to and looked up at her. "The bell rang. Are you going to your next class?" I didn't say anything. I stared blankly at her. "Are you okay?"

"It's been a year," I said simply, not giving any other explanation as to what I meant. She knew.

"Edward, come on. I think you need to go home." She held out her hand, and I stared at it for a second before I took it and followed her out to the parking lot and got into her truck. We drove in complete silence until she pulled into my driveway. I didn't get out, though, and she didn't ask me to.

"We got in a fight that morning. I told him I hated him," I confessed. "I was mad about some stupid concert I wanted to go to in L.A. with some friends, and he wouldn't let me go since it was so far away. We yelled and I said a lot of things I shouldn't have." My eyes filled with tears, but I blinked them away. I didn't want to cry in front of her. "Why did he have to die that day, of all days? Why that day?" A couple of tears began falling down my cheeks, and I turned my head to hide them. I didn't know what I was doing or why I was telling her this. I had never told anyone about the argument my dad and I got into that morning. No one ever knew. Before I knew it, she had slid across the seat and put her arm around my shoulders, pulling me into an awkward hug. I was rigid at first but eventually I gave in and wrapped my arms around her waist. I let the tears fall and the sobs come, and she never once said anything or made me feel like I shouldn't be crying. She just held me in her arms and rubbed the back of my neck soothingly while I cried for my dad for the first time. Hugging her felt odd but safe at the same time. I hadn't let anyone hug me since the funeral. Esme had tried a few times over the year, but I would always pull away or duck before she could. I guess the funeral experience was traumatic enough for me that every hug after that would feel like a pity hug, and I didn't want anyone's pity. But with Bella, it didn't feel that way— it felt like a friend who wanted me to feel better. It was comforting.

When I finally sat up and wiped the tears away, I didn't know what to do. We sat there, silent, for a long time. I knew she was missing school and had probably never skipped a day in her life, but for whatever reason, she did so for me.

"Do you want to stay with me today?" I asked. I glanced at her, wondering what her reaction would be. "I don't want to be alone." She nodded her head and grabbed her keys from the ignition. We got out and walked up the steps to my house. We walked into the quiet house, and I led her up to my bedroom. It's the first time I had ever let anyone in my room—not even Tyler or Mike had been in here. I didn't let Esme or Carlisle in, either, except for when they would stand by the door to tell me something. She stood in the doorway, looking nervous about coming in. Maybe she was nervous about being alone with me, or maybe she was afraid we would get caught and get in trouble.

"We can just a watch a movie or something," I said, trying to ease her tension. She nodded, then walked in and stood by my shelf. I walked over to the shelf and she flinched away slightly. I grabbed two movies off the shelf and held them out for her to choose. She looked down at them, then smirked.

"Do you have a thing for Will Farrell?" I looked down at the two choices I held up and realized they were both Will Farrell movies.

"He's funny," I said shrugging my shoulders. "We can watch something else. I have a whole shelf of movies— you can choose."

"No, this one will be great," she said, pointing to my copy of "Step Brothers." I put "Talladega Nights" back on my shelf, walked over to my TV and put the movie in the DVD player. Then I crossed my room, sat on my bed and propped up a pillow on the headboard. I looked over at her and she still just stood by the shelf, unmoving.

"Are you planning to stand there all day, or did you want to sit down and watch the movie?" I asked, somewhat sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and crossed the room, sitting down on my bed next to me. She was still tense, and I was still upset. I needed something to numb the pain and I thought she needed something to relax her, so I took my bottle of vodka out of my drawer, took a big swig of it and choked it down. Since I hadn't been drinking the last couple of weeks it took me a minute to get used to it again. I offered her the bottle and she vehemently shook her head.

"Bella, it's not going to hurt you."

"I don't drink, Edward."

"You aren't drinking, you're experimenting," I joked. She scoffed at my joke but took the bottle from my hand anyway. I watched as she slowly raised the bottle to her lips and tilted it back. As I watched her take the drink, I was mesmerized by her lips, the color, the softness, the plumpness, the way they puckered around the bottle. I shook my head and blinked a couple of times, realizing what I was doing. I didn't want to think that way about her. We were friends and that's all. I was quickly distracted when she started coughing hard and her eyes started watering. I laughed and took the bottle back from her. "Maybe I should have mixed it with something before I gave it to you." I took another drink and pushed play on the movie. After a while she relaxed some and eased into the pillow next to me. Our arms would brush against each other on occasion, and more than once she would deliberately bump into me during a funny part. I know some of the parts probably made her a little uncomfortable, but she didn't say anything. She didn't drink anymore of the alcohol either, and I could tell she didn't like that I was drinking, so I only took a few more drinks before I stopped and put it back in my drawer.

Around one, we went downstairs and cooked a frozen pizza to eat. Then, we went back upstairs and watched yet another movie. After it was over we sat there, not sure what to do next. I wasn't really in the mood to watch another movie, but I didn't know what else to do. Right as I was about to ask if she wanted to pick out another one, she spoke up.

"Have you ever seen the movie 'Magic in the Water?' It's about a family that goes on vacation, and the little girl discovers that the legend of the town is true, and there is a sea monster in the lake and she becomes friends with it." I had never seen it or heard of it, but I listened. "There's a part in the movie where they lay out on the sand and look up at the clouds to look for shapes and, as they start moving their fingers at the sky, the clouds start changing and becoming what they want to see. It's one of my favorite parts, because when I was little me and my mom used to do that. But since it rains so much here and we couldn't go outside, we started doing it inside the house. We would lie down and stare up at the ceiling looking for pictures in the cracks of paint. I still do it sometimes." She stopped there and I had no idea where she was going with this story. The movie sounded kind of lame and very kid-like. I wondered if maybe the movies we had just watched were not her usual type of movie and I had just corrupted her by having her watch such an obscene movie. "Do you want to try it? Looking at your ceiling and trying to see pictures?" She asked, suddenly. I shrugged, and she took that as a yes and slipped down to lie on my bed. I did the same and lay next to her staring up at my ceiling.

I glanced over at her and she had a huge smile on her face. "This will be great, you'll see." I looked around and tried to see something like she had said but didn't see anything. I pointed out a spot and said it looked like Ms. Cope, the grouchy secretary in the office at school. It didn't at all look like her and she could tell I was lying. She jabbed me in the ribs playfully and we both laughed.

"Edward," she said seriously, after we stopped laughing. I turned my head to look at her. "Your dad didn't believe you when you said you hated him. He knew you loved him, and he loved you, too. It would be hard not to love you." I stared into her eyes, unmoving for a long while. I wasn't sure if I heard her right or if I was picking up some double meaning to her words. Or, maybe she didn't intend for there to be a double meaning but I heard it and didn't know what to do with it.

She took a deep breath, looking nervous, and turned her head back to the ceiling. I took another long look at her before I stared back up at the ceiling, too.

"Do you see right there— it looks like a cat, with the pointed ears and even the whiskers," she pointed up at a spot on the ceiling for me to look at, but I didn't see anything. The only thing I saw was her green-painted fingers. I reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling it closer to my eyes.

"That's kind of an odd color to put on your nails, don't you think? I know it's your favorite color and all, but don't most girls paint them red or pink or something?" I asked. My forehead furrowed as I rubbed my thumb across one of her green nails.

"I'm not like most girls." She looked over at me seriously as she spoke, but she didn't pull her hand away from me.

I smiled crookedly. "I'm _well_ aware of that," I said.

She reached her other hand over and shoved me on the arm, making me drop the hand I was holding. "You're such a brat." We laughed again.

We stared up at the ceiling a little longer, and Bella saw many things in the paint spackle. I think a couple of times I may have seen what she was seeing, but I wasn't sure. We spent the rest of the afternoon talking about nothing, really. I was happy just having her here with me and not being alone.

"Who did you get your green eyes from?" she asked, abruptly. I was surprised by her question and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Is that why you like the color green, because it's the color of my eyes?" I teased.

"No," she said, and rolled her eyes. I noticed that her cheeks turned a light shade of pink, and I couldn't help but smile.

"I think maybe it is. Your blush kind of gives you away." I reached over and brushed my finger across her cheekbone.

"That's not the reason, Edward," she disputed.

"Then what is the reason?" I asked, still feeling pretty sure I figured out the mystery.

"I don't know. I just do, and your eyes are kind of intriguing for that reason," she confessed. I stared at her with a suspicious smile. She looked nervous, like she had revealed more than she wanted to. I found it very fascinating.

"My mom," I finally answered her question. She looked away from my intense stare. "Do you want to see a picture?" She turned back to me and nodded her head with enthusiasm in her eyes. I sat up, reached into the drawer next to my bed and pulled out the picture of both my parents from when they visited Italy. I lay back down next to her, a little closer this time, and handed her the picture. She took it from my hands and studied the faces.

A smile spread across her face when she glanced back at me. "You look like your dad."

"Most people say I'm the spitting image of my mom," I said.

She shook her head. "You have a lot of the same facial features as your mom, but I see a softness and kind spirit about your dad, just like I see in you."

We stared into each other's eyes for a few seconds, and I watched as her tongue darted out, wetting her lips. That was my undoing. Feeling brave, I reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. My hand lingered on her cheek for a second and I began to lean in to kiss her. I didn't know if she wanted me to, but I wanted to and she wasn't pulling away. Just as our lips were about to touch, there was a knock on my door and Esme stepped inside. "Edward, I got… oh, hello," she said, surprised when she saw us lying on the bed.

We both sat up and started to stand quickly. She stared between the two of us for a second, and I noticed Bella blush a deep pink color from being caught. I cleared my throat and decided to talk to end the silence in the room. "Aunt Esme, this is my friend, Bella. Bella, this is Emse."

"It's nice to meet you," Bella said, walking across the room to shake her hand.

"It's so wonderful to meet you, too," Esme said, bringing Bella into a hug. When she released her, Bella looked back at me with a scowl at my futile attempt to not laugh. Esme looked back and forth at our exchange with a shocked expression.

"We were just watching a movie," I explained so Esme wouldn't get the wrong idea. She nodded her head in understanding.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Bella? I got some Chinese food on my way home. There's plenty," Esme offered. "Carlisle should be home in a few minutes, and I'm sure he'd love to meet you."

I waited for her to answer, hoping that she would but not getting my hopes up. "I wish I could, Mrs. Cullen, but I have to work in about an hour and I need to go home first to get my uniform and make my dad something for dinner," she replied.

"Well, you'll have to come over some other time, then," Esme said.

"Sure, that would be great," Bella accepted. She looked back to me with nervous eyes, like she wasn't sure if she should just leave or if maybe she should wait until Esme left, though it didn't look like she would. Esme continued to have a shocked but pleased look on her face as she glanced between us.

"I'll walk you out," I offered to Bella, then grabbed our coats off my chair and guided her down the stairs. Esme followed us down and rushed to the kitchen, where I could hear her dialing a number on her cell phone. I assumed she was calling Carlisle.

I walked Bella to her truck, and we stood there for a few seconds not saying anything.

"Thank you for staying with me today. I know it was probably hard for you to skip school, and I apologize for that, but you have no idea how much today meant to me," I said. She smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck. I pulled her to me tightly and buried my face in her hair, taking in the scent of strawberries and making it, and this day, part of my most treasured memories. Maybe I could erase the bad memories and replace them with these.

"Anytime, Edward," she said, pulling away from me. "If you need anything, just call, okay?" I nodded my head and stuck my hands in my pockets. She hopped in her truck and drove away as I watched.

On Saturday morning, Bella called and asked if I needed a ride to the banquet that night.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" I teased.

"No," she said, quickly. "I just thought you would like to ride with me."

"I would love to ride with you," I accepted.

"Great, I'll pick you up around six then." I could hear the excitement in her voice. It made me glad that something so little could make her happy.

"I'm looking forward to it." We hung up and by late afternoon I had showered, shaved, and even threw on some cologne before I dressed in my suit. Around five I went down stairs to wait for Bella and saw both Esme and Carlisle give me pleased looks.

"You like this girl, don't you?" Esme asked, with a huge smile across her face.

I was surprised by the question. "We're friends. Of course, I like her."

"I think you have some deeper feelings for her," Esme observed. "You have to admit, Edward, you've changed a lot in the last few weeks. I don't think I've seen you smile since you came here, but now, when you're with her like the other night, you can't help but smile. She's good for you. I think you should tell her how you feel about her." Her words hit me like a ton of bricks. How did I feel about Bella? I liked her as a friend, obviously, but was it more than that? Did I want it to be more than that? Did she want it to be more? Better yet, did I want her to?

I thought about it for a while and wondered if I was ready for that. I didn't want to hurt her. I didn't want to make her disappointed in me. I knew that if our relationship went any further she'd end up leaving me. Everyone I truly cared about left me, and she would be no different. I wasn't worthy of love from anyone. I knew Carlisle and Esme cared about me and wanted the best for me, but I didn't think they actually loved me. I never expected them to. And Mike and Tyler, they were just drinking buddies, basically—not someone you could actually depend on or expect to be there for you when you needed someone.

I started to feel nervous about going with Bella tonight. I knew being with her would be wrong and I would end up hurting her, since I was a mess. Maybe going to this thing with her was a bad idea.

As if he could read my mind, Mike showed up at my door, informing me that Kate was throwing this huge party out at her place and that we should go. There was sure to be lots of alcohol and lots of girls. At first I said I couldn't go, telling him that I had this banquet to go to with Bella— even though I was questioning going at all—but I didn't want to go to this party, either. Then, Mike said something that I'll never forget:

"She'll never want you, Edward. She isn't the type to fall for loner, bad boy, druggies like you and me. She needs someone who's a nerdy, goody-two-shoes, bookworm like her," he insisted. "Besides, could you imagine what it would be like if she brought you home to her dad as her boyfriend? I think he would probably stand straight up in his wheelchair and deck you until _you_ needed that wheelchair. What the hell are you doing with her, anyway? Are you trying to bring her to the dark side? Make her a bad girl?"

He was right. I had no right getting involved with her. I had no right even trying. She deserved better then a screw up. I didn't want her to end up like me. So, I told Mike I'd be ready in a minute. I called Bella's phone, but there was no answer, so I left a message telling her something came up and I couldn't make it. I ran upstairs and changed out of the suit, then took off with Mike.

I regretted it the second I got into his car, and I was sure the headlights that we passed on the road as we left were hers. I wondered what Carlisle or Esme would tell her or if she would realize she had a message and listen to it. I had an ache in my chest that I hadn't felt since the day I was told my dad died. I wanted to get rid of it. So, once we got to the party I went on a drinking binge and got higher than I had ever been before. I don't even know what I took, but whatever it was, I passed out and didn't wake up until Monday afternoon, when I found myself in a hospital bed with Carlisle and Esme standing over me crying. I looked up at them through hazy eyes and saw the sorrow and hurt written all over their faces.

"I'm sorry," was all I could say.

Once I got out of the hospital and realized what a huge mistake I had made I felt horrible. I apologized profusely to both Carlisle and Esme for what I did, but I needed to apologize to Bella, too. I called her repeatedly, but she never answered. I tried to talk to her at school, but she ignored me. So, I went in to the soup kitchen on my last day and hoped she would give me a chance to explain, but I didn't expect her to forgive me for what I did.

I walked in and did my normal routine of putting on my apron, then I walked into the main hall with a spray bottle and towel in hand. She was already there washing the tables and getting ready for people to come in. I walked over to her and waited for her to acknowledge me. She didn't. She pretended like I wasn't even there.

"Bella, will you please just talk to me?" I pleaded.

"Why should I?" She countered, turning to face me. I could see the hurt in her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Just tell me why, Edward. Why did you blow me off? Why did you go to a party instead and get so wasted that it landed you in the hospital?"

"I don't know," I said.

"I think you do know. You just don't want to tell me," she said in an angry tone and turned back to washing off the tables. I realized if I ever wanted to make things better between us, I needed to tell her the truth.

"Esme said something earlier that night that made me really think about us and what I wanted. Then, Mike showed up and said that you would never want me because I was a screw up. I realized he was right and everything I wanted, I didn't deserve, and I shouldn't even want it to begin with. I'm not good enough for you."

"You know, I went to the hospital when I first heard you were there. I talked to Esme and Carlisle for quite a while that night. You really scared them, me too. We didn't know if you were going to survive. They had to pump your stomach and put all kinds of needles and tubes in you. I think I heard one of the doctors say that even your heart stopped beating for a few seconds and they had to shock you back to life. What were you doing? Were you trying to kill yourself? Do you have any idea how hard it was to see you like that?" she asked, her voice shaking.

"Bella, I'm sorry I can't be more for you. I'm not good. I'm messed up and I can't change that. I wish I could be everything that you deserve, but I can't," I said, full of remorse.

"I never wanted anything else. All I wanted is for you to see yourself the way I see you." A single tear fell down her cheek. "The only person who thinks you're not good is you, so that's what you portray. But that's not who you are."

People started filing in through the doors around that time, and she tried to walk away from me but I followed behind her, begging her to wait.

"Can you just please forgive me for standing you up? Tonight's my last night here and I don't want to fight with you," I pleaded.

"Fine, you're forgiven," she said simply, without any sound of truth to her words.

"Hey," someone in the line said, getting our attention. "You two are standing under the mistletoe. I think you need to kiss her, boy." We both looked up to see a strand of mistletoe hanging from the garland directly above us. I looked down at her, wondering if she would allow me to and wondering if it was the right thing to do.

I took a slow step closer to her and judged her expression. At first, I think maybe she wanted me to kiss her. I wanted to kiss her, even if it was wrong. I took another hesitant step closer, but she sighed dramatically, rolled her eyes and began to walk by me. I grabbed her arm and swung her around, placing my other hand on her cheek and pulling her to me. I pressed my lips to hers with force and hoped that she would accept me.

I pulled away and took in her expression after the kiss. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be holding her breath. When she opened her eyes and looked up at me, the only thing I saw was anger. I felt her hand make contact with my face and the sudden rush of heat as my cheek filled with blood. I instinctively pressed my hand to my throbbing face and rubbed it. I looked back at her with disbelief.

"Don't you ever do that again," she chastised. She stormed off toward the kitchen and left me standing in front of the fireplace.

The guy who originally pointed out the mistletoe broke out in a low chuckle. "Dude, you got slammed by sweet little Bella. I guess she's tougher than we all thought she was." I didn't know who this guy was, but he seemed to know Bella well, as did most people here—probably a lot better than I ever did.

"Shut up," I told the guy as I walked toward the kitchen. I took my place next to the sink and started washing dishes like I always did. After a while, she came in the small washing area and joined me. We washed the dishes in complete silence, which drove me nuts, but I didn't know what to say. This was my last time I would be here and probably my last time to get a chance to talk to her. So, I took a deep breath and asked her something I had wanted to know since the first day I saw her here—something that maybe would make me understand her and what she ever saw in me.

"Bella, just answer me one thing: why do you do this? Why do you come here every week and volunteer when you already have another job and you're taking care of your dad, as well as going to school? What do you get out of this?"

She turned to me briefly, then looked out at the people sitting at the tables. I waited patiently for her to speak, but she didn't. She continued to stare out into the crowded hall.

"Come here." She took my hand and led me out into the hall. We stood next to the wall and I watched her, waiting for some sort of explanation. She dropped my hand as soon as we stopped and crossed her arms across her chest.

"When you look out at these people, what do you see?" she asked. I looked at everyone, and all I saw was homeless or unfortunate people enjoying a free meal. I didn't understand what she wanted me to see.

"I don't get what you're asking."

"Do you know anyone here? Do you recognize anyone?" I looked again, and I think maybe I noticed a couple of people who I might have went to school with, but I hadn't paid much attention to anyone, so I wasn't sure. Instead of making a fool of myself trying to guess who they were or what Bella was getting at, I shook my head, wondering if she would just tell me what she wanted me to see.

"Every person here has a story," she began. "They all have something in common, but they have their own story and a reason why they come here. For instance, that family over there in the corner, they're the Hales." She pointed over to a man and a woman who had two blonde-haired grown children, along with one that looked to be about our age, maybe, with short spiky black hair. "That's Jasper and Rosalie Hale, along with their parents. Their dad lost his job about two years ago and they're struggling. They always had a comfortable life. They weren't rich but they had money, they had things. Rosalie was at college. Jasper was getting ready to go to college also. But because of budget cuts at his job, he was laid off, so they had to sell their house and move to something smaller. Rosalie had to drop out because they couldn't afford the tuition anymore. He's been looking for work everywhere, even in other states, but times are tough and there isn't anything available. Their mom works as a waitress at the diner, but they aren't bringing in enough money to survive on. So, they come here every week because three meals they don't have to pay for is that little bit of help that they need.»

«Alice Brandon, who's sitting with them, began coming here right about the same time they did. She was quiet and timid, kind of skittish, but somehow Jasper was able to talk to her and get her to tell him her story. Turns out, her parents left her when she was fourteen and she'd been homeless ever since. She wandered a lot and slept in places you can't even imagine, but Jasper fell in love with her, so he begged and pleaded with his parents to let her come live with them. Even though it was a huge financial burden for them, they let her stay. And every day she doesn't feel worthy of their care and support, and on many occasions she's taken off, but she always comes back because she loves Jasper and knows it would break his heart if she left for good.»

«Then, we have Emmett McCarty over there." She gestured to the man who had mentioned the mistletoe earlier. "He's probably one of the richest men in Forks. Some internet program he developed took off, and now he has more money than he knows what to do with." I turned to her with a shocked look, trying to understand. Wasn't this for people who were homeless—not for people who have money? "He's also our biggest financial supporter. See, he went to school with Rosalie, and he's had a crush on her forever. He knows that they're struggling and he's offered to help them out, but they're proud people and wouldn't take his money, so instead he donates money and clothes and anything else he can think of to keep this place running. And he comes here every week to see her, although he tells everyone that he's just here to make sure his donations are being used appropriately. About a month ago he offered Rosalie's dad a job and, after much resistance, he finally took the job. It's one more way for Emmett to make a good impression on Rosalie and get her to notice him. He's been thinking about anonymously offering her a scholarship to finish school, but he's worried that she'll figure out it's from him somehow. The thing is, he's too shy to tell her how much he cares about her because she's the most beautiful girl in the world, according to him, and he's just a computer geek who doesn't deserve her." I looked at this man who she described as a computer geek, and he didn't look like that at all, in my opinion. He was big and muscular, not a horrible-looking man at all. And Rosalie was pretty but definitely not the most beautiful girl in the world. "Rosalie also feels unworthy of him because she's a poor girl and he's rich." I wondered about that for a second. It seemed kind of ironic and backwards. They both had the same thought about the other and, maybe if they would just talk to each other, they could work it out and everyone would be happy.

"Then there's Victoria, whose husband, James died in a car accident about four months ago, leaving her with nothing but a huge debt that she's struggling to pay off. She's also going to school and trying to become a nurse.»

«And that's Garrett; he's kind of a loner and travels a lot. He isn't here all the time since he moves around, but when he comes he's always so appreciative of everything we do for him. He prefers to live off the land, and that backpack he carries has every possession he owns in it."

I listened as she told the story of every person who was here–even the ladies who worked in the kitchen and made all the food had their own stories. All the kids, all the families, every loner who didn't have anything... I saw everyone from a different perspective all of a sudden. They weren't just poor, or homeless, or disabled. They were people who had struggles and problems just like me, but they still had hopes and dreams for the future.

When she finished, she tipped her head to the ground and almost looked sad.

"So, what's your story?" I inquired.

She took a deep breath before she began. "When my mom first left I was really sad. So was my dad. He also wasn't the greatest cook. So, one night he brought me here and we started coming all the time. I made a few friends, and everyone loved listening to my dad tell stories about being on the force. Most were exaggerated or tall tales, but people loved hearing them, anyway. Everyone here was so great to us. We found happiness here, and those ladies in the kitchen taught me everything I needed to know about being a girl. My dad had no idea what to talk to me about or how to raise me. So, they helped us out a lot."

"After he was shot, I didn't know if he was going to survive, but many of the people here came to check in on me and brought me meals and other things. Even though they couldn't buy it for themselves, they still tried to help out as much as they could."

"When he got home, medical bills were piling up and we had no way to pay them. Insurance and his pension paid for a lot of it, but not everything. So, I dropped out of school and started working three different jobs to help pay them off. My dad was against it and kept telling me to go back to school, but I couldn't let us lose our house. He went into another deep depression since he couldn't work anymore and because I had quit school. Then, last Christmas everyone here, along with a few others from the community, chipped in money to pay off his medical bills so I could go back to school. Emmett, I'm sure, put in the most, but just the thought that everyone here helped out as much as they could when they don't have anything themselves was so thoughtful and unexpected."

"Anyway, now that he's in a wheelchair, our house isn't set up properly for him to leave, and when he does need to leave we have to hire help, since I can't do it myself and we don't have the money to fix the house up. He can't come here anymore, and I know it upsets him because he loved coming, so I began coming here to help out. I felt like I owed everyone here a lot and I wanted to give back to them. After I get home I tell him stories about everyone here and what new things have happened, and it makes him happy."

"I'm trying to raise enough money so I can have someone come in and reconstruct our house so he can come and go as he wants. He thinks I'm saving money for college, but I can't go off to college while he's stuck in the house with no way to leave without help."

"The thing is, everyone who comes here finds whatever it is they're looking for in some way—maybe it's just a warm meal or a warm place to spend a few hours or a friend or love. Whatever it is, they find it here. Everyone here is like a family, and I can count on them more than anyone else in my life." I listened as she explained her story and what this place meant to her. When she mentioned counting on people, I began to realize why she was so mad at me. She thought she could depend on me to be there with her at that banquet, but I let her down.

She walked back into the washing area and started finishing up the dishes. I followed behind her and finished out my last day of community service.

The following days I thought about everything Bella had told me, everything that happened those few weeks I spent with her, and I realized she was right. Even I was granted a miracle while I was there. I might not have needed the financial support or a job or even food. I needed a friend, someone I could actually talk to and trust—someone who saw me for me and not a messed-up kid like most people did. I needed to feel happy again, and she gave me that, then I threw it away. I felt awful about what I did and felt like I needed to make it up to her somehow.

I went downstairs and talked to Carlisle about him helping me out with a plan I had. I didn't know if what I wanted to do would make her forgive me or if it would only make things worse, but I had to try.

I found out where Emmett lived and went over to his house to go over my plan and ask for his help. I was nervous and I didn't know if he would be willing to help me out, but he was very nice and willing to help without much explanation. We became fast friends. We worked out our plan and made the arrangements.

On Christmas Day, I showed up at the church early and met Emmett there so we could set things up. Carlisle and Esme both came to help, as well. We placed gifts for every person under the tree, which Esme helped buy, since we had no idea what to get anyone. Caterers showed up with all the food, and I was sure by now someone was picking up Bella and her dad.

When the ladies showed up to cook their special Christmas Day meal, they walked in completely shocked. I ushered them to a table that was specially decorated to honor them and explained that today was a day for them to relax and let someone else serve them. The wait staff I hired brought the ladies plates of food and filled their glasses with drinks. Every one of them stared at me with disbelief. But they enjoyed themselves. When the normal crowd came in, I greeted everyone just like Bella always did and tried to talk to them politely and respectfully. As they passed through the line, they filled their trays with the food that was catered and took their normal seats in the hall to eat. There were even a few new people who were here.

I waited in the kitchen, watching for Bella and her dad to show up. Esme had promised me that she would watch for them and show them to their seats when they got here. I didn't want her to know that I was behind this, even though I knew she would once she saw Esme, but I didn't want to be the one to face her first. I figured she would probably leave if she saw me.

When I saw her come in pushing her dad's wheelchair, my heart started beating so fast. I was extremely nervous and on any other occasion I would have started drinking, but I was determined to change my ways, so I didn't. I stayed in the kitchen the entire time and helped the caterers and waiters with their duties, although, I think I was getting in the way more than anything. On occasion, I would peak out at everyone just to see that they were all enjoying themselves, but mostly I wanted to see that Bella was still there and not mad at me for doing this.

After everyone was done eating, Esme and Carlisle started passing out gifts to every person here. Emmett brought in a screen and projector to put on a movie. It was an all-day event for everyone to enjoy and have fun as a family, just as Bella had explained the people here were. Emmett turned out the lights to start the movie, and I excused the caterers and went to the wash room to start washing dishes.

I could hear the movie playing and people laughing. I was really happy with how things had turned out.

"I thought I might find you in here," I heard the most beautiful voice say behind me. I felt a shiver run through involuntary at the sound of her voice and I smiled, but then I remembered that maybe she was still mad at me, so my smile fell and I slowly turned to face her.

"Hi," I said. I had thought about what I would say to her so many times and that was definitely not what I had planned, but that's all that came out.

She smiled and tipped her head to the side, motioning for me to follow her. I took off my apron and followed her out to the back and sat down on the steps next to her.

"Emmett told me you planned this," she said. I nodded my head.

"This is great, Edward. It's such a wonderful gift you gave everyone."

"I just wanted to do something nice. Emmett and Carlisle paid for most of it. I just had the idea," I explained.

"Well, regardless, I appreciate what you did today, for everyone—especially my dad. He's having so much fun being here again and visiting with old friends," she said.

"I'm glad. That was the plan." I hesitated for a minute before speaking again. "Bella, I'm sorry for everything I did."

"Edward," she interrupted, "you don't need to be sorry anymore. I just want to put everything behind us." I nodded my head in understanding, even though I had no idea what that meant. Was she saying that she wanted to start over or was she saying that she wanted to forget about everything and not think about me anymore?

I took a deep breath and reached into my jacket pocket to hand her the gift this whole day was supposed to lead up to. I didn't know if it was going to do any good, but I wanted her to have it anyway.

She took the envelope from my hand hesitantly then reached into her bag and handed me a wrapped gift. I took it from her hand and stared at it with disbelief. I wasn't expecting that she would have gotten me a gift as well, nor have it with her. Did she expect to see me here today? Did she somehow know?

As if she could read my mind, she explained, "I was planning on stopping by your house after I was done here. I figured I'd just slip it in your mailbox or something, but I wanted to give it to you. It's nothing special and you probably won't like it, but I decided to take a chance." I smiled at her obvious blush and started to open it.

What was inside actually did surprise me. It was a DVD copy of 'Magic in the Water.'—the movie she had talked about that day in my room.

"I know you probably won't like it and it's not your type of movie, but I thought maybe we could watch it together sometime," she suggested.

"I'd like that a lot," I said. I became very happy at that moment. I think she was telling me that she was willing to give me another chance. "Open mine now."

She looked down at the envelope in her hand and began to open it. She pulled out the papers and read what it said. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What is this?"

"It's a contract with a local construction company who is going to come to your house and fix it up so it's easier for your dad to get around. This way he can continue to come here with you if he wants, and you won't have to pay for help when he needs to go to doctor appointments or wherever. Now, you can use the money you have saved to go to college like you told your dad you were going to do."

She stared at it with her mouth hanging open, trying to make sense of it all. "Thank you so much for this. You have no idea how much this means to me. How did you pay for this, though?"

"I sold my car and used some of the inheritance from my dad," I replied.

She stared at me, trying to understand what I just said. "Edward, you can't sell your car for this. I can't let you do it."

"It's already done. If you don't accept it, then I sold my car for nothing."

"Your car means everything to you though," she argued further.

"You, and your friendship, mean a little more to me than my car," I clarified. I saw her smile slightly and her cheeks redden.

"But, how are you planning to get to school or go anywhere?" she asked.

"I'll be getting a huge amount of money from the life insurance policy once I turn eighteen, so I can buy a new car then and maybe even go to college myself. But, until then, I was kind of hoping I could talk the most beautiful girl, I've ever met, who drives a beat-up, faded red truck, to give me rides to and from school and to here on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, if she's okay with me starting to volunteer now."

I saw tears in her eyes and wondered if I had made a mistake. When I was just about to start apologizing once again for not thinking, she reached over and grabbed my face, bringing my lips to hers. I was completely stunned. When she pulled away she had a huge smile on her face.

"Does this mean you forgive me and you're willing to give me another chance?" I asked.

"As long as you promise me that you won't listen to those dumbass friends of yours," she demanded.

I smiled. "What friends? The only friends I need are right here inside this building."

She smiled again, reached down and linked our fingers together. "I'll pick you up for school every day around eight," she offered.

I smiled and nodded my head. "Bella, you know how you said every person that comes here finds what they're looking for?" She nodded. "Well, I didn't know it at the time, but I found exactly what I needed when I came here, and that was you." Her face lit up when I said it, and I decided to take a chance.

"Bella," I asked hesitantly, and she looked up at me, "would it be okay if I kissed you?"

"Edward, you don't have to ask to kiss me," she said.

"Actually, I think I do. I'd rather not get slapped again," I laughed.

"Sorry about that," she whispered.

"It's okay. I deserved it."

"No, you didn't." I raised my eyebrow at her. "Okay, maybe you did, but I should have given you a chance to explain.

"There wasn't much to explain. I was a jerk. But I promise, Bella, if you give me another chance, from now on I'll do whatever I have to so you'll be able to trust me and depend on me when you need me, just like you always have for me."

She leaned over and pressed her lips to mine once again. "Like I said, you don't have to ask," she whispered.

I smiled and leaned in, taking her bottom lip in between mine and kissing her passionately. "Great," I joked, once I pulled away. We both laughed lightly, and I cupped her face with my hands and kissed her again.

I knew things weren't going to be perfect and I knew I had a lot to get through, but I knew I could do it with her by my side. Of all the miracles I'd had happen to me through my life, she was the greatest one of all.

* * *

A/N: I just wanted to tell Bzeemomof4, Redlulu, and Kaymay09 thanks for taking the time to edit this and for being such wonderful friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I wrote this story as a oneshot back at Christmas time and it ended up winning second place in the contest. I never had any intention on continuing it, but about a month or so ago, I had a dream and this story continued in my head. It took me a while to get it outlined and figure out all the different angles I wanted to take it, or if I even wanted to continue. But it was nagging at me, so I'm continuing it. I hope everyone likes it and wants to know what happens in this story.**

**This is going to pick up after the New Year when they go back to school. The first half of this story, will be a little fluffy. It's basically just going to be about Bella and Edward getting to know each other and spending time together. But there are things that will happen to cause a lot of angst and I'm predicting a lot of tears. Just warning everyone. The rating will be changing from a T to an M as well.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters involved.**

**EPOV**

The days following Christmas were awkward for me and Bella. Things were different now and neither one of us knew how to deal with it. She picked me up so we could go to the soup kitchen on the nights it was open. We washed dishes like we always had before, but we barely talked at all. I started to wonder if maybe Christmas didn't mean as much to her as I thought it had.

Or maybe it was my fault for not making a move. But after getting slapped by her once already, I didn't want to chance it happening again. So I was trying to take my cues from her and letting her decide where she wanted us to go from here. Only problem was she wasn't giving me anything to go on.

As soon as the New Year came, Esme and Carlisle helped me get set up with a counselor. They suggested I go to AA meetings as well. But I wasn't comfortable talking about my personal life with a group of strangers. So, I opted for the private counselor only. Esme and Carlisle were just happy I was willing to try anything at all.

When school started back up, like she promised, she picked me up at eight and we drove towards the school. We rode in silence, only hearing the roar of her old truck. I was getting tired of the silent treatment. If she didn't want me to ride with her, or even go to the soup kitchen anymore, it was fine. She just needed to tell me.

"Would it be better if I asked my aunt and uncle to give me rides from now on?" I blurted, breaking the silence.

"Why?" She asked with hurt in her voice.

"I don't think you really want me to ride with you. You don't talk to me anymore."

"Well, you don't talk to me either. I keep waiting for you to do something, but still nothing. I thought things were going to be different now," she said.

"I thought so too, but I don't know what to do from here. I don't know if we're still friends or if it's more than that. I don't know what you want from me or who you want me to be for you," I explained.

"I don't want you to be anyone but yourself. I want you to be the same person I've gotten to know over the last month. I keep hoping maybe you'll ask me out on an official date and not stand me up this time," she smirked.

"You're never going to let me live that down are you?" I asked, feeling ashamed by what I did.

"That all depends, if you can make it up to me or not," she said grinning. I couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm.

"Then I guess I have a lot of work to do to prepare a proper date for you." There was a silence, which hung between us again after I spoke. She glanced back and forth between me and the road.

"So, are you planning to ask me or are you waiting for something?" She asked, sarcastically.

"Oh… um… well…" I stuttered, trying to find the right words. "I was sort of thinking I should plan something perfect first. Then ask you."

"It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to be thoughtful."

I sighed. "Well, then this weekend sometime would you like to go on a date with me, to somewhere I haven't decided yet?"

She laughed. "I'd love to, Edward. And whatever you plan, I'm sure will be great. It doesn't have to be anything overly extravagant. I'm going so I can be with you. That's all."

"I'll keep that in mind," I agreed.

She pulled into the parking lot at the school and we both exited the cab. She was smiling when she walked around to where I was so we could walk together. As we started to walk, I thought I'd try to be brave and hopefully read the signs she'd been giving me for weeks now, correctly. So I reached out for her hand, linking our fingers together. I risked a glance in her direction to make sure she wasn't going to be mad at me. But when I saw the huge grin on her face and her fingers tightened around my hand, I knew I had done something right.

"Edward, everyone is staring at us," she worried.

"Is that a problem?" I asked.

"No, it just makes me nervous," she revealed, looking up at me.

"Why?"

"Think about it, Edward. You're the bad boy who gets in trouble all the time and I'm the good girl who likes to volunteer at the local soup kitchen. We're not exactly the most compatible people. Everyone is going to talk."

"So, let them. Why does it matter what anyone else thinks? Besides, I like to volunteer at the local soup kitchen as well. So we aren't so different," I joked. "Everything will be great, right?"

She leaned her head against my arm as we walked. "Right," she agreed.

We walked to our first class hand in hand, even though so many people were giving us confused looks. We probably weren't what people expected to come back to school seeing. I didn't care though. No one else mattered except for Bella.

All during class I thought about the date I needed to plan for her. I needed it to be special and memorable. I needed to impress her and make her know she could trust me. I also needed to impress her dad. He needed to know I wasn't going to hurt her or do anything disrespectful to him or Bella.

I hadn't talked to her dad since Christmas, when she told him about the gift I had given them. At first he tried to refuse it and tell me it was too much, but when he saw Bella's face and how happy she was, he reluctantly accepted the gift. I wondered if maybe the reason he didn't want the gift at first was because it came from me. I knew he knew who I was and what I had done in the last year. I wasn't proud of what I had done, the drinking, the drugs, landing myself in jail more times than I can count. I'm sure he wanted me as far away from Bella as possible. I wasn't even sure he would allow her to go anywhere with me. I only ever did drugs at parties or with other people. Drinking I did by myself on a daily basis, but now I'm not doing any of it. At least, I'm trying. I want to be better for her. I want to prove to her I'm worth the effort. However to be able to prove it to her, I need to prove it to her dad also.

So, whatever I decide to do with Bella this weekend, it needs to be amazing. It can't be the typical dinner and a movie. It needs to be better. Only problem is I didn't know the area well enough to know where to take her or what would be appropriate.

The morning went by rather slow. Bella and I only had the one class, first thing in the morning together, so I was anxious to see her again at lunch. I hoped she was as excited to see me too, but I didn't want to get my hopes up.

When I walked into the cafeteria, I noticed her sitting at a table in the corner all by herself. I stopped at the entry, taking a minute to watch her. She had her head down reading a text book, which lay on the table in front of her. She looked adorable sitting there with her nose in the book. All the times I can remember seeing her in school before, she was always studying or reading something.

She looked up, noticing my gaze in her direction. At first, I thought I should probably look away, but then she smiled and motioned for me to come over.

"Hi," she greeted, motioning for me to sit down. "So, how has your day gone?"

"It was alright," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "What about you?" She groaned.

"Is it bad, I wish it was spring break already?" She complained, slamming the book closed and shoving it aside. I laughed.

"Do you have big plans for spring break?" I asked, teasing her.

"No," she scoffed, with a hint of irritation. "I don't ever do anything for spring break, except stay home and read. I just want the break from all this school work."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't take all these advanced placement classes," I suggested, with a playful smile, flipping through the text book she had shoved aside.

"If I want to get into a good college, then I have to take these classes. I can't afford to pay for college on my own, so I need to get a scholarship somehow," she retorted.

"Bella," I began, reaching my hand out to cover hers reassuringly. "You are one of the smartest people I know. You'll get into college easily."

"Thank you," she said, smiling shyly at our joined hands on the table. "I hope you're right."

"Hi Bella," Angela said nervously, standing to the side of the table we were sitting at. I pulled my hand away from hers, glancing up at Angela.

"Um… I was just… You are planning to make it today, right?" She asked apprehensively.

"Of course I am," she replied. "Why wouldn't I?"

Angela glanced in my direction. "I wasn't sure. You know, now that you're… Well, I just wasn't sure."

"Angela, I'll be there," she assured her once again.

"Okay, I guess I'll see you later then."

"Bye Angela," Bella said, politely. Angela gave me one last glance before turning on her heel, and walking away.

"What was that about?" I wondered.

"We have a mentors meeting tonight after school," she replied, nonchalantly.

"A mentors meeting?"

"Yeah, once a week, a few of us who are in the program go over to the middle school and mentor some of the kids who need help with homework or just need someone to talk to." I nodded my head in understanding. "Do you want to come?" She asked timidly.

"You want me to come to a mentors meeting?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, why not?"

"I'm not the mentor type. I'm more the one who needs the mentoring," I admitted.

"But what better way to help someone who may be struggling, than to know what they're going through?" She paused briefly waiting for me to respond. "Please?" She begged. I laughed, shaking my head at her puppy dog face.

"How can I say no to that?" I replied. She squealed with excitement.

"This will be great. We leave right after school and head over to the middle school. It's only an hour long so we'll be out of there a little after four, then I can drop you off at home, before I have to work," she informed.

"You have to work tonight?" I asked, feeling depressed all of a sudden.

"Yeah, only until nine though."

"What days do you work? Or maybe I should ask what days do you have available?" I questioned.

"Well, besides the mentoring I do every Tuesday, I also work Tuesdays and Thursdays from five to nine and usually Saturday mornings, from seven to noon. Then of course I work at the soup kitchen on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I also have yearbook committee every Friday from three to four. I have choir practice on Wednesdays. And then we meet for FBLA once a month. But we have our conference coming up soon, so we might start meeting more. And then of course, on Sundays I go to church. But sometimes I just prefer to stay home with my dad on Sunday and keep him company." she explained.

"Wow," I said in shock. "So when exactly are we supposed to have this date?"

"I don't have anything planned for Saturday afternoons or evenings," she replied.

"I guess you should pencil me in for Saturdays then," I suggested, with a smile.

"I'm sorry, I have a busy schedule." I watched as her cheeks turned a slight shade of pink and she ducked her head.

"It's okay. It's probably a good thing you have a busy schedule. Then you don't have time to get in trouble like I do."

"You could join some clubs, too," she suggested. "There are all kinds of things you could do."

"Maybe, I'll look into it," I agreed, with little enthusiasm. I'm sure she could tell, because I heard her sigh like she was upset.

"So, I was thinking about this date," I started, changing the subject. "What would you prefer to do? I don't know if there is anything you are completely against or maybe you had something in mind."

"It doesn't matter, Edward. I'm not picky," she replied. "Whatever you decide will be great. I just want to spend the day with you."

"You aren't giving me much to go on," I complained.

"Edward, I'm serious, you don't have to do anything big. We could just spend the day at your house with your aunt and uncle for all I care. I did promise Esme I would come over for dinner sometime," she reminded.

"I don't want that to be our first date though. Maybe we can have dinner with them some other time."

"Well, you have all week to think of something and if you can't, then that's fine too. We don't have to do anything," she recommended.

"That's not an option. I promised I'd make it up to you, so I'm going to. I'll figure it out, eventually," I promised, not actually sure I would be able to.

"We should get to class," she said, shoving her book back in her bag.

"Can I walk you?" I asked.

Her face lit up with a huge smile, nodding her head. I put my hand out for hers, allowing her to make the choice of whether to hold it or not. I wasn't surprised when she slipped her fingers though mine. After this morning, I didn't think she minded me holding her hand anymore. I walked her to the far side of the school and left her at the door of her classroom before rushing off to my own, which happened to be on the far other side of the school.

The last half of school was a little easier to get through. I had Algebra, English, and P.E. which were all easy classes for me to get through.

After school was out, I walked over to my locker shoving everything in my bag, as quickly as possible. I knew Bella was probably going to want to leave quickly, so she could make it to the middle school in time so I was trying to hurry.

As I grabbed for my last book, my locker slammed shut with force. I looked up to see Mike leaning up against the locker next to me, glaring.

"What the Fuck, dude," I shouted.

"Where've you been?" He questioned.

"What do you mean where have I been?'" I repeated angrily.

"You didn't show at the Christmas rave, you didn't meet us for New Years. What the Hell is wrong with you? What did you do on those nights?" He asked.

"Christmas, I worked at the soup kitchen and I did the same on New Years. Then I went out to dinner with my aunt and uncle before going home and watching the ball drop on TV. What's it to you anyway?"

"Who the fuck, are you? You would never turn down a good party, especially one on New Years. Damn you missed out, big time," he informed. "And wasn't your community service supposed to be over before Christmas?"

"It was, but I'm still volunteering there."

"Why?" He asked with a disgusted look on his face.

"Because I like it and I have fun there," I replied.

"This is about that girl, isn't it?" He questioned.

"Her name's Bella. And no it's not about her. I like working there and I'm trying to turn over a new leaf."

"Huh?" He asked with a confused expression. I rolled my eyes, realizing he probably had no idea what I meant.

"I'm trying to do better. I don't want to be the druggy-alcoholic kid, who screws up all the time. I started counseling and I'm actually thinking maybe I'll even go to college someday," I revealed.

"What the fuck did that girl do to you?" He asked.

"Again, her name is Bella. And she didn't do anything to me except make me happy," I enlightened.

He started laughing dramatically, like he thought it was some big joke. He was starting to get on my nerves and I could feel my anger rising. "You know, whatever you two have going on is never going to last, right? You both look ridiculous together and it's sort of pathetic you actually think you have a chance with her." I was beyond angry now, but part of me believed him, even though I promised Bella I wouldn't listen to him. But what was I thinking? I couldn't ever be more for her. She deserved much better than me. "I'm actually surprised you don't see it, dude. You're just her newest little pity project. Once you go through all this "treatment" she wants you to do, she'll drop you. You won't ever get any from her, if you know what I mean. I'll probably be her next target."

"Actually Mike, you're beyond help," Bella cut in, angrily, walking up behind him. "And for your information, Edward isn't a project. He's a human being who wants to better _himself_. I'm only here being a supportive friend. But the big difference is Edward doesn't need me to tell him what to do. He's doing it on his own because he actually has some brain cells left to want better in life, unlike you. The only one pathetic here is you." I started laughing at her attempt to be forceful and angry. It was actually entertaining and she was making quite the scene. The look on Mike's face was priceless. He was stunned beyond words and all the color left his face. He looked like he had seen a ghost.

"Edward, are you ready," she asked, still clearly angry.

I nodded my head. "Yeah, I'm ready." I grabbed her hand leading her away. I smirked at Mike as we passed him. He still had a shocked look on his face. "See you later, Mike."

We walked out to her truck quickly. I could tell she was still angry. We got in and she slammed her door shut, grumbling in frustration. "I thought you said you weren't going to listen to any more of his crap? He's full of shit you know? He doesn't know anything about me." I reached out grabbing her hand to calm her down.

"Bella, I didn't believe anything he said. But he is my friend and I couldn't just tell him to get lost."

"I don't want you to think this is just a charity thing or something. I'm not friends with you as some sort of pity project. I know I come off as a know it all, and I know some think I'm a snob, because I get good grades and I work hard and I like to help people when I can. But that doesn't mean…"

"Bella," I interrupted. "I don't think you're a snob at all. You're one of the kindest people I've ever met. I could never see you as a snob." She smiled, relaxing her body.

"Do you still want to come with me?" She asked.

"I said I'd come. I'll probably just sit in the corner though. I'm not sure if I really fit in with the whole mentoring thing. Plus, I don't think any of your friends like me," I revealed.

"They just don't know you, like I do," she argued, starting up her truck. "Once they get to know you, they'll like you."

"Maybe," I pondered. I wasn't sure if I believed it or not though.

The mentoring thing was interesting to watch. Each student was paired with a mentor. Some did homework, some played board games, and others sat and talked. Bella sat with a young girl helping with her homework, but I think they may have been giggling and whispering things back and forth more than anything else. They glanced over in my direction a few times, so I had a pretty good inkling they were talking about me. When I would catch her eye, I would stifle a laugh, shaking my head in embarrassment.

When she was done and we left in her truck I had to know. "What were you two talking and giggling about."

She got a bashful grin on her face before answering. "She wanted to know who you were and why you were there. I told her you came with me."

I nodded my head, not really finding any humor in what she told me.

"She thinks you're cute," she added. I turned my head raising an eyebrow. "She wanted to know if I thought you would ever be interested in dating an eighth grader."

"You're kidding right?" I asked in disbelief. She shook her head trying to hold back her giggles.

"I think I might have some competition," she revealed, with a huge smile.

"There is no competition."

"I don't know about that. She will be a freshman next year and you'll be a senior. It's not so bad."

"Bella, you're ridiculous," I laughed. "Why would I want someone else when I can have you?" She smiled. I reached across the seat, taking her hand in mine and bringing it to my lips, giving her an innocent little kiss on the back of her hand. I was really trying to be daring and show her I wanted her and no one else. I wanted this to work between us.

She pulled up in front of my house turning off the engine. I knew I should probably say something, but I didn't know what.

"So," she began. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah," I replied, with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow." I got out of the truck, giving her one last wave as she pulled away. Things were so awkward between us and I didn't like it. We used to be able to talk and laugh with each other and not have any qualms about it. Now, though, everything was different. Maybe it was the wrong thing to do when I kissed her. Maybe it would be better if we just remained friends.

I walked in the house, greeted by Esme who had a plate of cookies just out of the oven waiting for me. She was off all this week from work and for whatever reason she thought she needed to be mother of the year or something. I rolled my eyes when I saw her standing in the entryway with the cookies, but I didn't refuse. I grabbed a couple off the plate, thanking her and ran up to my room.

I threw my bag across the room and grabbed my phone. I dialed up Emmett's number. I got his secretary Gianna, who said he was in a very important meeting and couldn't be disturbed. I left a message asking her to have him call me as soon as he had a chance. I huffed, knowing I was so screwed in all of this. I could royally mess everything up with just one wrong move. I wasn't even sure Emmett would be able to help me if he was available. He'd been chasing after Rose for so long and still had not made a big enough move. At least, I am making an effort.

I pulled out my homework, attempting to get some done, but I was distracted by thoughts of this date and where Bella and I were going with our friendship or whatever it was now.

After reading the same line in my life science book three times, I slammed it shut with a heavy sigh. I got up heading downstairs to talk to Esme. She was a girl and the only girl I knew, besides Bella. Maybe she could help by explaining what girls like to do and what would be appropriate.

I sat down at the bar in the kitchen. She was busy moving around the kitchen, making dinner. She glanced in my direction curiously. I very rarely ever came down to "talk" with either of them. I figured I'd ease into the conversation.

"What are you making for dinner?" I asked, casually.

"I've got some salmon steaks baking in the oven and I'm working on a rice pilaf and some baked asparagus now," she explained. I nodded my head. I wasn't interested in what she was cooking, but it was a good start.

"So, how was school?" She asked.

"Okay, I guess," I shrugged.

"Did you actually go to your classes?"

"Yes, I went to every one of them. I didn't skip or hide out somewhere to get drunk. I stayed there all day," I replied, angrily. I felt like I was getting the third degree.

"Edward, I was just asking to make conversation. I wasn't trying to pry or anything," she said, defensively. I sighed.

"I need some advice," I blurted. She was facing the stove, stirring something, but as soon as I said the words, she turned the stove off and came over leaning across the bar, waiting for me to ask.

"What do you need, Edward?"

I ran my fingers through my hair, nervously. "I'm supposed to take Bella on an official date this weekend and I want it to be special, to make up for everything I've done, but I have no idea what to do."

"You and Bella are getting pretty close. Is she your girlfriend?" She asked, smiling.

"I don't know. Really, I'm still trying to figure things out myself. Things are weird between us. I just don't want to screw this up with her."

"Well, what type of stuff does she like to do?"

"Volunteer, Homework, Sing...," I said. "I don't really know much more. She's different than most girls."

"Hmmm, maybe you could take her to a museum or an art gallery. She might enjoy something along those lines," she suggested.

"Yeah, I guess that's a good idea." I looked down at the counter, playing with a fork.

"Don't stress about it, Edward. Bella doesn't seem like the type who needs a grand gesture to make her like you. You seem to have already won her over by your lovely charm," she giggled, ruffling up my hair. She turned back to the stove, finishing up dinner.

"Yeah," I breathed. I got up, heading back to my room.

I slumped in my chair, thinking about what I could possibly do. I wondered if maybe I should call her dad and get permission to take her out first. But then I thought this isn't the nineteen-fifties. Although, it might, earn me some points, where he was concerned. But I was too chicken to go through with it. Instead, I attempted my homework again.

My phone rang, just as Esme called up the stairs informing me dinner was ready. I grabbed my phone, answering it on my way down.

"Hey Edward, this is Emmett. Gianna said you called."

"Yeah, um, I was just curious if you could give me some advice. I'm taking Bella out this weekend and I don't know where to take her."

"You actually asked her out?" He wondered. I could hear the smile in his voice. I rolled my eyes, as I sat down at the table with Esme and Carlisle.

"Edward, you need to hang up the phone," Carlisle demanded.

"Just give me one more minute. This is important," I begged. He sighed, looking at his watch.

"Emmett, I don't have a lot of time. Can you help me out at all?" I asked.

"I've got just the thing. If I know Bella as well as I think I do, she'll love it," he announced.

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you about it tomorrow night. You'll be at the soup kitchen right?" He wondered.

"Of course I'll be there."

"Ok, I'll get it all set up and fill you in then."

"Emmett. You can't leave me hanging like this."

"Just relax Edward. She'll love it. I promise." He hung up, before I could question him anymore. I slammed my phone on the table out of anger. Esme jumped and Carlisle raised an eyebrow at me.

"Sorry," I huffed. I grabbed my fork, picking at the food. I wasn't much in the mood to eat. They both gave each other a glance before returning to their own food.

As soon as I had picked at the food enough for Esme to excuse me, I went back to my room. I wanted to know what Emmett was planning. I wanted to know if it was good enough.

Eventually, I fell asleep, watching TV.

The next day back at school went much like the first did. Bella picked me up, we went to our first class together, we walked in the halls together, and we ate lunch together, all while everyone watched or stared in confusion. Apparently no one was brave enough to ask what this meant.

After school, Bella had choir practice. I stayed in the cafeteria while she was in the music room. I wished I could have been in there to see her sing, but the teacher was very strict about who came in to the music room. Instead, I did my homework so I wouldn't have to do it later.

As soon as she was done, she came walking out with a few other people. She had the biggest smile on her face when she saw me sitting there waiting for her. She bid everyone goodbye, before walking over to me and taking my hand. I smiled at her obvious excitement.

"So, what happened at Choir practice? You seen very happy about something," I observed. She was practically skipping on the way out to her truck.

"I got the solo. I didn't think I would, but I did." She really was jumping up and down now. She wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. "I can't believe he picked me to be the soloist. He never picks me." I hugged her back, breathing her in.

"I'm so happy for you. That's great news, Bella," I congratulated. "So when's the concert?"

"In eight weeks," she answered.

"Am I invited?" I asked.

"Of course you're invited," she insisted, pulling away to look into my eyes. "I mean if you want to be invited."

"I wouldn't miss it," I revealed, with a crooked smile. She took in a deep breath, grinning at me.

"Come on. We need to get to the soup kitchen." She grabbed my hand, pulling me along to the truck.

As soon as we got the soup kitchen and greeted the ladies who were already there, we went to work doing our normal routine. The ladies were all starting to get comfortable with me being there. A few of them actually talked to me.

After people started coming in, Bella had a few minutes to go tell some of her close friends here the good news about her solo. She seemed extremely excited about it. I hoped she stayed excited and didn't stress about it at all. While she was busy talking to Sue, I spotted Emmett coming and quickly ran over to him. I pulled him aside, asking him what he had come up with. He hands me an envelope. I looked at it curiously, not sure what it was.

"It's tickets to the symphony, in Seattle," he explained. "I get tickets to every show because I donated money to the remodel of their new concert hall, but I never use them. I think Bella would like it."

"You really think she'd like the symphony?" I wondered.

"I'm sure she'd have fun, regardless where you went," he assured. Everyone seemed to be saying that lately. Maybe I was stressing about this far too much. "Anyway, there's a reservation for dinner at the joining restaurant to the concert hall."

"You made dinner reservations for me too? Why did you go to so much trouble for me?" I questioned.

"You're probably the first person I could call a friend, who wasn't only my friend because you want money. Plus, I like Bella. She's a sweet girl and deserves to have fun with someone she cares about," he explained. "Besides, you helped me get in good with Rose and her family. So, I owe you."

"How did I help you with Rose?"

"She said seeing Bella happy, made her want to be happy, too. She said you were Bella's hero and she wanted a hero. I volunteered," he explained with a huge grin.

"I wasn't Bella's hero. She was mine." I thanked him for the tickets and went into the washroom, where Bella was already getting started. I tucked the envelope in my back pocket, before getting to work.

"You were talking to Emmett for a long time. What was that about?" She asked.

"He was just helping me out with something," I explained.

"What's this?" She questioned pulling the envelope out of my pocket.

"Bella, give it back?" I demanded. She playfully kept it from me, moving it from one hand to the other, giggling all the while. "Bella, I'm serious give it back."

"What is it a love letter from one of your many admirers?" She joked. I rolled my eyes, chuckling.

"Funny, Bella. Now give it back."

"I want to know what it is. I saw Emmett give it to you and I'm curious what you boys are up to."

I sighed, giving in. "Fuck. Go ahead and look then," I said in defeat. I turned back to the sink, washing the dishes.

"Edward, I was only playing around?" She said, defensively. "I don't need to know what's in the envelope."

"It's not a big deal. Emmett was just helping me set something up for Saturday. I wanted to surprise you." I continued washing dishes, ignoring whether she was opening the envelope or not. Only a few seconds went by before she placed it back on the counter next to me and went back to her post.

I smiled, realizing she didn't open it. "Thank you." I reached out, squeezing her hand.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I didn't know."

"It's okay. I shouldn't have made such a big deal out of it."

Things became awkward again. We barely spoke the rest of the night. I should have just told her what it was. I should have made sure it was something she would want to do. I should have asked her opinion. I hated everything about this. Why couldn't things go back to the way they were before I kissed her? Things were easy between us then. Maybe we were better off just being friends. Maybe I wasn't cut out to be a boyfriend, or whatever I was, material. Maybe I was just too screwed up to even try. The hardest thing about all this was I really wanted to drink, to get rid of the frustration and nerves. I didn't want to think or feel anymore. But I fucking couldn't. I promised Bella. I promised my aunt and uncle. I promised my counselor.

I was glad I was going to see him tomorrow. I needed to talk to someone. Maybe he could tell me what I could do to make all of it go away.

The next day wasn't much better. Things were awkward and we barely talked all day. She deliberately put her hands in her pocket or made sure she had something in her hand, so I couldn't even attempt to hold her hand. At lunch time she said she had to work with the voice coach, so she could get her solo right.

I tried to be understanding and pretend like it was no big deal, but it hurt. I knew she was avoiding me. I figured by Saturday she'd come up with some excuse why she couldn't go anywhere with me. It was only a matter of time and it was probably better it happened now, before either of us got deeper into whatever this was.

I called Esme at lunch, asking if she could pick me up after school. I had counseling anyway and this would just save time, as well as an awkward trip with Bella.

After school was over, I walked to my locker, gathering up my books. Bella met me at my locker. She looked nervous. I didn't blame her. "I don't have anything to do for a couple hours. I thought maybe we could hang out," she suggested. Of course of all days she asks, it had to be today.

"I can't. Esme's out front waiting for me."

"Oh," she sighed. She looked heartbroken. "Okay um, I understand." She started to walk away, but I reached out grabbing her hand, pulling her back.

"Bella, it's not like that. I have counseling today. I asked Esme to pick me up so she could take me. I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of the day with you. But I have to keep up with the counseling, otherwise Carlisle has threatened sending me to military school," I explained.

"You have counseling today?" She asked, timidly.

"Yes. I have it every Thursday. This is only my second time going though. I can't start skipping out on it already."

She smiled, realizing I wasn't ditching her or avoiding her like she was to me. "So, do you still want me to pick you up in the morning?"

"Only if you want to," I replied. "I don't want you to feel obligated to do anything you don't want to do."

"Edward, will you just answer the damn question with a yes or no answer?" She demanded. "You are so confusing at times."

"Yes. I still want you to pick me up in the morning."

"Okay, now was that so hard?"

"No," I laughed. "Can I ask you a question now? And can you answer with a yes or no?" She looked up at me nodding her head. "Are you still planning to go out with me on Saturday?"

"Yes."

"Good," I smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I have to go. I'll see you tomorrow." I headed out the doors, meeting Esme in the parking lot. I didn't talk to her much on the drive to my counselor. I never had much to say to her or Carlisle and when I did talk to them it always felt forced.

We walked into the waiting area of the counseling office and I checked in. I sat down, grabbing a sports illustrated magazine off the table. I wasn't much into sports, but it was something to look at. Esme took out her laptop, working on some sort of a layout for some new place she was designing. Even on her days off, she still seemed to be working.

When Mr. Greene came out, calling my name, I got up, following him back to his office. "So, Edward, how has being back at school been?" He asked, as he shut the door behind us. I sat down in the chair across from him.

"Difficult. I've been tempted to leave a few times. Today was probably the worst."

"Why is that?" He asked.

"I don't know. Bella and I had a little bit of an argument last night and all day she's sort of avoided me, so I've been stressed."

"What was your argument about?"

"It was stupid," I sighed. "I'm supposed to take her out this weekend. It's sort of like our first official date and I've been stressing about it all week. So, I called Emmett for some advice and last night he gave me tickets to the symphony, in Seattle. He said Bella would like it. First of all, I was upset because I didn't know that about her and then she was just playing around and grabbed the envelope from me to see what it was. I got mad and yelled at her. Then all day she's avoided me."

"So, it sounds like this date you two are going on is pretty important to you," he observed. "Why do you think it's so important?"

I shrugged. "I just don't want to screw this up with her. She's important to me and I don't want to do anything to ruin it."

"She's important to you?" He repeated. "So, in other words, you've let her in to your life, when everyone else you've kept at a safe distance, since your dad died."

"I guess you could say that."

"You're afraid to let her in, because you might lose her, but at the same time you're afraid to not let her in, because you might lose her." I took a deep breath, staring across the table at him. How could I be here for five minutes and already he knew exactly what was going on? "First of all, people, especially girls, are going to come in and out of your life. I'm sure Bella isn't going to be the only girl in your life. If she was, I'd be pretty shocked." I understood what he was saying, but right now, she was the only girl in my life. I needed to know how to be with her, without hurting her. "I think the best thing to do is figure out who you are and who you want to be, before you complicate your life with a girlfriend."

"Are you trying to say I shouldn't date Bella?" I asked, interrupting him.

"What I'm saying is, obviously this week has complicated things and only made it more difficult to deal with the withdrawals. Don't you think being with Bella would be easier once you were able to deal with your own issues first?"

"Probably, but what if by then it's too late?"

"How would it be too late?"

"What if she finds some other guy she wants to date? A guy, who isn't screwed up and doesn't complicate her life, a guy her dad approves of."

"See, now we're getting to the root of things. Her dad has you worried, doesn't he?" He asked, smirking.

"He is the former police chief. I'm the kid who's been in jail more times than I care to admit. But I'm sure he knows. And now I plan to take his only daughter out. I'm sure he's going to flip."

"Yet another reason, why it'd be a good idea, to deal with some of your issues, before going any further with Bella. Prove to both of them you're willing to change and be a better person."

"What if I'm not willing to wait?"

"Edward, I can't force you to do anything. I'm only here to listen and give you guidance."

"Okay, well I'm telling you now I'm not going to wait to go further with Bella. She'll think I'm avoiding her and I'm using this as an excuse," I explained. "I'm only here because of her. She made me want to be better."

"Alright, if that's how you want to do it, I can't stop you. But I do advise you to take things slow."

"Okay, enough about Bella. What do I need to do about the constant need to drink?"

"Why do you feel like you need to drink?" He asked.

"I just don't like feeling out of control. I don't like feeling stressed or scared about stuff," I replied.

"So, alcohol makes you feel like you have control?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Not really. It just makes everything go away."

"So, what you want is a way to control your surroundings and your feelings without the use of alcohol?" He questioned.

"Yes."

"I guess that's your first lesson then. You can't. No one can. If there was a way to control everything about our lives, you wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have a job. The way to deal with it though is to learn to let things go. To not let things bother you. To not get upset if everything doesn't go as planned."

I sighed heavily, not feeling any better. I wanted him to tell me there was a magical cure.

"So, besides Bella, what has been your main focus lately?" He asked.

"I guess school and the soup kitchen. I don't have anything else to focus on."

"Are you happy with your life?" He wondered.

"Is this a trick question?" I asked. He laughed.

"No, it's not a trick question."

"I don't know how I'm supposed to be happy with my dad gone and never getting the chance to know my mom. I'm not happy about living in a strange town with my aunt and uncle. I'm not happy about being an alcoholic at seventeen. I'm not happy about anything."

"So what does make you happy?" He asked. I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn't understand where he was going with this.

"I have no idea."

"Then there's your homework for the week. I want you to think about things that make you happy. It can be the smallest of things like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to something big like a car. Next week I want you to bring in a list of things. Or even bring some things in so we can talk about them," he suggested.

"Okay," I agreed. I left counseling, not feeling like it did any good. I still felt confused about Bella. I still felt like I was messing everything up.

On the drive home, Esme kept asking me question after question about how it went and if things were getting better. I really wanted to tell her it was going well, but I wasn't so sure it was. Instead I just kept quiet and told her it was private. She seemed to accept my answer and didn't ask any more questions.

On Friday, Bella and I seemed to put what happened the days before, behind us and started over. I didn't want Saturday to be awkward between us, so I was doing my best to let things go and move forward. I wanted Saturday to be perfect.

At the soup kitchen, we goofed around like we normally did and talked to people we were friends with. It seemed strange how at the soup kitchen, we both felt free to be ourselves. We were comfortable with each other there.

Emmett came by and wished me luck for tomorrow. I thanked him, but I wasn't so sure things were going to go as well as I hoped they would.

On Saturday morning, I got up and ate breakfast with Carlisle and Esme. It wasn't any different from any other day, but it was different in so many ways. The anxiety I was having was overwhelming. I seriously thought about drinking just to get through the day. But if I did, Bella would be able to tell. I'm sure her dad would too. He was trained to notice those things.

"Can I borrow a car today?" I asked, while we sat at the table. Carlisle dropped his fork and about choked on his pancake.

"I don't know if it's such a good idea," he said.

"Carlisle, he's been doing really well the last couple weeks. I think we could let him use the car for just today. He's got an important date tonight with Bella. I think they'd both have more fun if they had a reliable vehicle to drive into the city in," Esme insisted. Carlisle groaned but gave into Esme's request.

By noon, I had showered, shaved, and dressed in the suit I was supposed to wear to the banquet I missed. I had called Bella earlier in the day asking her to wear the dress she wore that night also. I missed seeing her in it, because of my own stupidity and I wanted to see her dressed up and happy. I paced the floor for the next hour. I told Bella I'd pick her up around one-thirty and already I was breaking out in a cold sweat. I checked my wallet at least a dozen times, making sure I had the tickets. I called the restaurant confirming the reservation Emmett had set up. I even called Emmett to be sure he thought this was a good place to take her.

"Edward, you are being ridiculous. Relax. She'll love it and she'll have a good time," he insisted. "The restaurant is right next to the music hall. It's not hard to find. Oh and by the way, Rose and I will be there too."

"What? I thought you said you never went?"

"Well, Rose finally agreed to go out with me. After I made some phone calls for you, it seemed like a good idea for me and Rose too. She of course was thrilled and couldn't wait. I definitely made a good impression on her," he laughed.

"I guess I'll see you there then," I said, before hanging up. I paced the floor a little more. I noticed Carlisle trying really hard not to laugh at me.

"Edward, can you please sit down?" He asked. "You're making me nervous." I huffed, sitting down in the chair, staring at the clock.

"What are you doing pacing the floor anyway?"

"I'm nervous. I have to face her dad. He already doesn't like me. Now I have to ask his permission to drive into Seattle with his daughter. How would you feel?" I asked. He laughed.

"Is this your first time going on a date with a girl?"

"Not completely, but in a way, yes."

"You lost me, kid."

"In San Diego I was dating this girl named Tanya. The thing is; we weren't really serious. The only thing we ever did was go on group dates. She just wanted to be seen with me and I never had to face her dad."

"Charlie's a reasonable man. I'm sure everything will be fine," he assured. "He and Bella have a good relationship and he trusts her, so if she thinks you're okay, he'll accept it."

"He may trust her decision, but it doesn't mean he's going to trust me or ever like me."

"You really like Bella, don't you?"

"I do. She makes me happy. For the first time since my dad died, I'm happy." In the back of my mind I kept thinking about what my homework from my counselor was. I was supposed to think of things that made me happy. She was the only thing I could think of.

Carlisle smiled at my reveal. "You know, I remember a similar situation I was in, back in high school. I remember being nervous just like this. I remember not knowing what to talk to the girl about or whether I had chosen the right date. Her dad didn't care for me much either," he reminisced.

"So, what happened?"

"Well, I got through the date and she agreed to go out with me again," he explained. "I found out many years later, it wouldn't have mattered what we did or where we went on that first date. She would have loved it, just for the fact, she was with me."

"And five years later, that girl married him," Esme cut in, walking over and sitting down next to him. I glanced between the two of them, who looked completely happy and content in their life. Hearing their story made me relax a little. Bella did say she didn't care where we went as long as she was with me. Maybe it was the same thing. Maybe she wouldn't care. Maybe her dad could learn to like me if I proved to him I wasn't going to hurt her. I could never hurt Bella again, after what I'd already done to her.

As I thought about this, my phone started ringing in my pocket. I pulled it out seeing Bella's name pop up. I answered it quickly.

"I just wanted to know if you were still planning to come," she wondered. "You didn't change your mind, did you?"

I chuckled. "No, I didn't change my mind. I'll be there soon."

"Okay, well whenever you get here, I'm ready," she said.

"Is your dad there?" As soon as said it, I felt stupid. Of course he's there. Where else would he be?

"Yes, my dad's here. He's looking forward to seeing you," she added. I was almost positive I heard him in the background scoffing at her comment.

"I'll head over now then. I'll be there in a few minutes."

I hung up the phone and grabbed my coat off the back of the couch.

"Here," Esme said, holding out a couple folded up twenty dollar bills.

"I don't need any money. I've got enough," I assured.

"Just take it. You never know what might happen. It's better to be prepared," she insisted. I reluctantly took the money, slipping it into my wallet.

Carlisle handed me the keys to his Mercedes. I expected they'd give me the keys to Esme's Lexus not the Mercedes.

"You better not make me regret this," he warned. I smiled.

"I'll be careful. I promise." I took the keys, and rushed out to the garage. I couldn't believe he was letting me drive his car.

I got in and slowly pulled it out of the garage. I saw Carlisle standing in the window, watching me pull out. I'm sure he was nervous about me driving his car. I was even a little nervous driving it.

I headed out on the road, towards Bella's house. She didn't live very far from me, so it only took a few minutes to get there. I pulled up in front of her house, shutting off the engine and taking a deep breath. I could do this. I could face her dad and make him see I could be a good kid.

I got out of the car and walked up to her door. I lifted my hand to knock, but before I could, the door flew open.

"Hi," she greeted, grinning from ear to ear. I gawked at her when I finally got a good look at her. I couldn't even breathe. She was absolutely beautiful. I can't believe I gave this up the first time, for a party. "What's wrong?" She stared at me, with scared, sad eyes.

I blinked my eyes, shaking my head to come back to. "Nothing's wrong. You just… you look beautiful." She smiled, and I saw her cheeks turn a little pink. She reached for my hand, pulling me through the front door. Her dad had his wheelchair pulled up to the table. He was reading the paper, intentionally ignoring me.

"Daddy, you remember Edward, right?" Bella asked. He finally turned from his newspaper, looking me over.

"I remember you," he observed.

"It's nice to see you again, sir," I greeted, holding out my hand for him to shake. He glanced at my extended hand for a moment before meeting my eyes again. "Or should I address you as chief, or detective, maybe." I let my arm fall to my side, realizing he wasn't planning to shake my hand.

"Sir is just fine," he answered, coldly.

"Okay."

"So where are you planning on taking my daughter?" He asked.

"To a concert in Seattle," I replied.

"You're taking my daughter to a rock concert?" He questioned, in an angry tone. "I don't think so."

"It's not a rock concert, sir. It's a symphony concert. It's at the Benaroya Hall. We'll be having dinner in the Norcliffe Founders Room. It's located right there in the concert hall," I explained.

"And what are you planning to drive into Seattle? Are you taking the truck?" He looked at Bella, questioning her.

"No," I cut in. "My uncle Carlisle let me borrow his Mercedes for the night." Charlie looked me over, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Have you been drinking boy? Are there any drugs in your system I should be aware of?" He questioned.

"Dad," Bella gasped.

"I'm sorry Bella, but I know his background and I'm not about to let him drive around with my daughter in the passenger seat."

"Dad he's been really good. You can't…"

"Bella," I interrupted. "It's okay, really. I understand why your dad is asking. And to answer your question sir, no I don't have any alcohol or any type of drugs in my system. I'll take a drug test right now, if you want me to."

"It's not necessary. I trust you and I know you haven't been doing drugs or drinking at all. You don't need to do anything, but tell my dad goodbye and take me to Seattle," Bella asserted.

He grumbled, turning back to his paper on the table. "Be home by midnight."

"Thank you daddy," Bella accepted, kissing him on the cheek. She left the room to grab her coat and I turned to follow her, but Charlie stopped me before I got very far.

"That's my only daughter you're taking out tonight. I expect you to be on your best behavior and not do anything stupid while she's in your care. I want her to come home, the same way she left," he warned.

"I understand, sir," I answered. He nodded his head, clenching his jaw, silently letting me free to take Bella out.

Bella came back around the corner, waiting for me to follow her. I gave Charlie a quick thank you before following Bella out the front door. I opened the car door for her and she crawled into the front seat. I went around and climbed in behind the wheel, letting out a huge sigh of relief. Bella started laughing.

"My dad isn't so bad once you get to know him. He's just a little overprotective."

"For a minute there I didn't think he was going to let you go," I revealed.

"He would have. I just would have had to do a lot of convincing," she smiled deviously, making me laugh. I started up the car and headed out of the driveway.

"So, we're going to the symphony?" She wondered.

"Yeah," I replied. "I hope the symphony is okay. Emmett's the one who suggested it. He said you'd like it."

"It's great Edward. I've never been to the symphony before, so it sounds like a lot of fun. I'm excited," she said.

"Emmett said he and Rosalie are going to be there too. I guess he finally got up the nerve to ask her out," I explained.

"It's about time. Those two have been driving me crazy for over a year now."

"Why?" I wondered, laughing at her irritation. "I mean, I know you told me Emmett has had a thing for her and he's even told me about it, but is there more to the story?"

"Just that Rosalie has always liked him, but she was too shy to make a move. She keeps waiting around for him to do it. Then when her dad lost his job, she became very insecure and didn't think she deserved him or he'd want her anymore. So they just act stupid around each other and don't take the next step, when both of them secretly want to."

"Well, it sounds like one of them finally did."

"I hope it works out for them. They'd be so cute together," Bella said. I could tell by her tone, she cared about both of them very much.

On the drive to Seattle, we talked about school and her dad a lot. She wanted to know how counseling went and what exactly I had to do at counseling. She was surprised that all I did was talk. It was so easy being with her and talking to her now. The last few days had been so awkward between the two of us, but now things were simple. I think I was so stressed about making this perfect for her, I forgot to just have fun. What I should have done is just relax and let things go.

By the time we arrived at the concert hall, we were both starving. "I haven't eaten all day," she explained. "I was too nervous to eat."

I laughed. "Me too," I revealed. She smiled, as we got out of the car. She took my hand and we walked up to the doors together. I opened the front door for her and gave the host my name. We were led back into the dining area and seated at a small square table for two.

"Wow!" She expressed, looking around at the large open room. There were floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the city. The room was dimmed with only the light of the city and a few recessed lighting along with a candle on each table. "This place is amazing. I've never seen anything like this before."

"It is pretty nice isn't it?" I agreed. "It's been a long time since I've been to a place like this. My dad used to take me to fancy restaurants sometimes." I laughed at the memory. "If he had to do a dinner meeting, sometimes he'd bring me along so he could use me as an excuse to leave early. He hated dinner meetings and tried to avoid them as much as possible. He always said, dinner time was our time and he didn't like it when our time was interrupted."

"I like your dad. I wish I could have met him. He obviously loved you a lot," she observed.

I smiled, ducking my head at the thought. He did love me, I always knew he did. But doing what I did, the last day he was alive, was unbearable. I wished so bad I could take it back. I never wanted it to be the last memory he had of me. I never wanted it to be the last memory I had. I needed to change the subject. Thankfully the waiter came to our table. It was a 4 course meal experience, which Bella was a little confused about. She'd never been anywhere like this before. The waiter we had was very nice and explained everything to us and even suggested a few selections for us. After making our selections and giving the menu's back to the waiter, I decided to change the subject from what we were discussing.

"So I heard a lot of people last night talking about Alice and Jasper's wedding. When is it?" I asked.

"They're getting married on Valentine's Day. It's nothing big or extravagant. It's just them with some close friends and family. Alice didn't want anything big and I think she even got her dress at a yard sale last summer. She's excited though."

"I'm glad. She and Jasper seem perfect for each other," I said.

"Would you like to go?" She asked.

"Go where?" I wondered.

"To Jasper and Alice's wedding," she clarified.

"I wasn't invited," I smiled. "It's okay though. They don't know me very well yet, so I don't expect them to invite me to something private like their wedding."

She rolled her eyes. "Edward," she started, sounding frustrated. "I'm asking if you want to go with me. I was invited and I'd really like you to come with me."

"Oh," I said, in shock. I didn't realize she was asking me to go with her. "Are you sure it's okay though? I don't want to be there if they really don't want me there."

"There's something you need to understand about Alice and Jasper. They are both two of the most caring and giving people I have ever known. They would probably love for you to be there," she explained. "Come with me."

"If you think it's okay, then of course I'll go with you," I agreed. She smiled. Her eyes lit up with excitement.

We talked a little more about the wedding coming up and more about the restaurant we were at. The place was packed and still had so many people waiting around. I wondered if we'd see Emmett and Rosalie at all, but so far we haven't seen them.

After a while our food started to come and the conversation turned to the food and the experience of having a four course meal. She seemed so nervous about what she was eating and whether she was eating it correctly. I didn't think she was having as good a time as I hoped she would. She never let on, she didn't like anything though. I wished so bad I knew what she was thinking. I wanted to know if she was miserable or if I screwed up on this date.

By the time we were finished with dinner, we only had a few minutes to get to our seats for the show. We had excellent balcony seats. Emmett did a great job setting this up for me. I hoped she liked the symphony more than she did the dinner. I had never been to a symphony concert before either, so this was new for both of us.

I spotted Emmett and Rosalie a few seats away from us. They both looked like they were having a great time. I pointed them out to Bella, who waved at them and smiled. "It's good to see them together. They look happy," Bella whispered, just as the lights dimmed in the concert hall.

"They do look happy. Are you happy?" I whispered back. She turned, squinting to see me better in the darkened hall.

I could see her smile, which gave me some relief. "I'm always happy when I'm with you," she revealed. I smiled, taking her hand in mine as we turned to watch the show.

The curtain raised and the soft music began playing. I spotted Bella's smile as she listened. For the first time tonight she looked like she was having fun. Her eyes never left the stage as the music played. Every now and then her hand would squeeze mine in a climax moment in the music. I was happy she seemed to be enjoying it. Maybe Emmett was right, when he said she would like this.

She never once let go of my hand the entire time the music played. The only time she did was at the finale when the lights came back on and everyone stood to their feet and applauded. We stopped only for a minute to talk to Rosalie and Emmett.

They both expressed how much they enjoyed the show and asked us how our night was going. Bella instantly answered, saying she was having a fabulous time. I hoped she was telling the truth.

Bella and Rosalie slipped away to use the bathroom, leaving Emmett and I to talk alone for a few minutes.

"I hate these things," Emmett admitted, as soon as Rose was out of earshot.

"Then why come?" I asked, laughing at his obvious boredom.

"Because I knew Rose would like it." He sat down on a couch in the lobby, waiting for the girls to finish up. "I don't mind it, but it always puts me to sleep. I can't exactly fall asleep when I'm on a date."

"I think Bella enjoyed it. At least I hope she did. The dinner was a little intimidating to her, I think. She seemed super nervous and barely ate anything," I explained. He started laughing so loudly.

"Dude, she's a simple girl. Places like this are not her thing," he said.

"Then why'd you tell me to take her here?" I asked, getting angry.

"Because even if it's not something she would typically do, she's still the type to appreciate and enjoy it for what it was and never forget this night. Didn't you say you needed to make up for missing that banquet dinner you were supposed to go to with her? This is going to make up for it." I looked at him skeptically. I had no idea what he was going on about. "Don't worry, Edward, she had fun. I can see it in her face. I've known Bella for a long time and I've never seen her happier than she is right now."

I took a deep breath about to say something, but the girls showed up interrupting our conversation. Rosalie wrapped her arms around Emmett's neck, kissing him deeply, leaving Bella and I turning our heads to avoid their intimacy.

"We've got to go," Emmett announced. He looked down at Rosalie, who was still wrapped in his arms. "I still have a few more surprises for you." She smiled up at him and gave him one more, quick kiss, before turning to us and wishing us both a good night. They headed out the doors, leaving Bella and I, standing in the lobby.

"Should we go?" I asked. She nodded her head and took my arm. I led her out to the parking garage and to the car.

On the way back to Forks, she fell asleep. I did my best to be quiet so I didn't wake her. She stirred a couple times, but didn't wake until we were almost to her house. She pulled herself up in her seat, looking around curiously.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," I apologized.

"You didn't. It's my phone." She pulled her phone out of her purse, which was sitting on her lap.

"Hello," she answered, groggily. "I'm fine dad, just tired. We just got into Forks, so I should be home in a few minutes. I'll see you soon." She hung up her phone, sticking it back in her purse. She rubbed her face with her hands, waking herself up.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep. I guess I didn't realize how tired I was," she fretted.

"Don't apologize for being tired," I chuckled. "I'm glad you were able to get some sleep. It's been a long day."

"I meant to tell you earlier, I had a really great time tonight," she said.

"Are you sure? I kind of got the impression you didn't like it much."

"It was a little different than what I'm used to, but I had fun. It's something I'll never forget. I'm glad I got to experience this with you," she disclosed. I pulled up in front of her house, turning off the car.

"You are?" I asked, smiling at her.

"Yes. But next time, maybe we could do something a little more low key," she suggested.

I laughed. "So there's going to be a next time?"

She looked down at the floor. "Well, I guess if you want there to be anyway," she said.

"Of course I want there to be. Is next Saturday good for you?" I asked. Her head lifted, smiling. She nodded her head in agreement.

"I guess I should go in," she said.

"Okay." She reached for her purse and looked back at me once more, smiling. "Bella," I said, stopping her from opening the door. She turned back to me, waiting for me to speak. "Thank you for coming with me. I know it wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed being with you." She smiled, nodding her head. She reached for the door handle once again, but stopped herself, just as her hand rested on it.

She slumped back in her seat, looking at her hands, sitting in her lap. "Are you ever going to kiss me again?" She blurted.

"What?"

"I told you at Christmas, you didn't ever have to ask me for permission to kiss me. But you haven't kissed me since then. Is there a reason why? Do you not want to kiss me anymore? Did I not do it right? I know I'm probably not good at it, but you're the only boy I've ever kissed. I'm sure I'll get better with…"

"Bella," I interrupted. She looked across at me, waiting for me to say something. I took a deep breath, raising my hand to her cheek, and leaning across the car, pressing my lips to hers. She leaned into the kiss, allowing me to deepen the kiss. My lips lingered against hers. Her hand rested against my chest, while the other rose to my neck. I tangled my fingers in her hair, pulling her closer by wrapping my free hand around her waist. I darted my tongue out, tasting her lips. It was a total surprise, when she opened her mouth, letting me slip my tongue inside. I moaned into her mouth as her tongue brushed against mine. She was crazy if she thought she was a bad kisser.

I broke the kiss, only for a second so we could both catch our breath before I began kissing her again with just as much passion as I had before. Just as I was losing myself in the kiss, I saw a stream of light shine through the curtains of Bella's house. I pulled away as quickly as I could, sitting back in my seat and taking a deep breath.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked. She sounded disappointed I stopped.

"I'm pretty sure your dad just looked through the curtain." She turned towards the house, seeing the small beam of light coming from the curtain. "I don't think he could see, thanks to the tinted windows, but I still need to make a good impression on him and if he knew I was out here making out with his daughter, he'd probably want to kill me."

She laughed. "You might be right. I should probably go inside before he gets suspicious and starts calling me repeatedly."

"Yeah," I agreed.

She reached down grabbing her purse, which fell to the floor as we were kissing. "And Bella," I began. She looked up at me again. I leaned in cupping her face with my hands. "I was only trying to take things slow. It's not because you're a bad kisser." I kissed her sweetly, once more. "You're an amazing kisser and I've wanted to kiss you every day since Christmas, but I didn't want to be pushy."

Her eyes remained closed as I spoke, so I stole one last kiss before releasing her face. "You can be pushy, Edward. I want you to kiss me," she disclosed. I smiled, nodding my head.

"You have church tomorrow, right?" I asked.

"I do. But I don't have to go if you wanted to do something different."

"No, I want you to go to church. I was just going to ask if it would be okay if I came with you. Maybe I could even come by in the morning and help you out with your dad so he can come too," I offered.

Her mouth spread into a huge grin. "You'd do that?" She asked, excitedly.

"If it means I get to spend more time with you, then yes. I'll do anything."

"Okay," she accepted, nodding her head in agreement. I'll see you in the morning then." She reached for the door handle, but I instantly realized I should be opening her door. I shouted for her to stop and hopped out of the car, rushing around to her side to open her door for her. I helped her out of the car, and walked her to the front door. We stopped at the door, looking at each other nervously. I was hoping to kiss her one last time, before I had to say goodbye, but her dad swung the front door open, glaring up at me.

"Mr. Swan. It's good to see you again." He grumbled in response. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bella."

"Okay," she smiled.

"Goodnight," I said to both of them. Bella went inside, shutting the door behind her. I walked down the steps back to the car. I let out a relieved sigh as I pulled out onto the road. I did it. I got through the date without the need of alcohol or anything else and she had a good time and wanted to see me again.

I couldn't wait to see her again. Only a few hours from now and I'd be able to see her.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** I don't have a lot to say. Thanks for the reviews. I really appreciate all of them. I hope everyone likes this chapter. I thought it was kind of funny.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own twilight or the characters involved.

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**BPOV**

I walked through my front door, still smiling from the kiss Edward and I shared. It was the perfect date. Anything as long as I got to be with Edward would have been perfect. I never planned to fall for Edward as hard as I had. I'd always hated him. Well maybe not hated, but I knew he was a bad kid and I had to stay away from him, because of who he hung out with. Once I got to know him, though, he wasn't bad at all. He had problems, like most of us, but he was different than Mike or Tyler was. I liked being with him, whereas Mike and Tyler I had known since grade school and I avoided them at all costs. They used to pick on me all through grade school and middle school. One time it got so bad, my dad went to their houses and threatened to arrest them if they didn't leave me alone. Now they ignore me most of the time, but any chance they get to taunt me they did it. Edward was different than they were. He had a kind and caring side to him. I didn't see it until I let myself get to know him better.

"He was parked out front for quite a while," my dad pointed out. "What exactly, were you two doing, in the car?"

I rolled my eyes and walked across the room towards him. "Relax Dad, we were only talking. He wants to take us to church in the morning. He said he'd come by in the morning and help you out to the truck, so we can all go." I thought he'd be happy about it. What Edward offered to do was one of the sweetest things he'd ever done for me.

"I'd rather not," he said, roughly.

"Why?" I whined.

"I don't want you hanging out with that boy anymore. He's a bad seed. I can see what he's doing. He's trying to butter me up to impress you. I don't want this little infatuation you have with him to get you caught up in something really bad."

"Dad, he's only doing it to be nice. And maybe in a way he is doing it to butter you up, but it's only because he wants you to like him and trust him with me," I argued. "I'm not going to get caught up in anything bad, either. I know better than to let a guy sway, who I am and what I want. He isn't trying to do that anyway."

"Oh really," he countered. "You don't think I know what those type of kids scheme up? It's a game to them. They find a sweet innocent girl and treat her like a queen; she falls into the trap and gives away her innocence; then he drops her and makes a mockery of her. I don't want that happening to you."

"Dad, Edward's not like them. He would never hurt me. You're wrong about him."

"I would rather not wait around to find out, which one of us is right. I let you go out with him this once, but this is where it ends. I don't want you seeing him anymore."

"Just give him a chance, Dad," I begged. "He's trying really hard to be better. I wish you would see what I see and trust me to make my own decisions for once."

I ran up the stairs to my room, knowing it was the one place I could be alone. Since my dad is in a wheelchair he was bound to the bottom half of our house. It was hard for him. He no longer had a bedroom or any privacy. We had a bed set up in the dining room area, but most nights, he ended up sleeping on the couch. It was hard for him to get into the bed from his chair, but onto the couch, he could do. He never liked me to help him, even though I tried numerous times. He was more stubborn than anyone I had ever met. But I loved him. He was all I had. I hadn't heard from my mom in years. I don't even know if she remembers she has a daughter.

I changed into my pajamas and lied across my bed, crying. I couldn't believe my dad was doing this. Tonight was so perfect and he had to ruin it by saying I couldn't see Edward anymore. Edward wouldn't understand. He would think I didn't want to see him anymore. He would think he did something wrong and I didn't like him anymore. I couldn't do that to him. He was trying so hard to do better. I knew my dad was wrong. I knew Edward wasn't doing all this just to hurt me. This wasn't a game to him. I had to find a way to prove to my dad, he wasn't going to hurt me. I wasn't going to let my dad control my life anymore. This was my choice and there was nothing he could do about it.

I ended up crying myself to sleep and woke the next morning with dark circles under my eyes. My cheeks were blotchy from the tears. My hair was a mess. I looked horrible. I tried to pull my hair back, but it was no use. I gave up and walked down the stairs. I needed to call Edward and let him know I wasn't going to be able to go to church this morning. I knew my dad had no intention of going and there was no way I could go looking like this.

I walked down the hall and into the kitchen, not paying much attention to my surroundings. I picked up the phone and dialed the number. I was shocked when I heard the familiar ring tone of Edward's phone in the living room. I quickly turned around, noticing my dad and Edward sitting in the living room. I dropped the phone, staring at them blankly. What was going on? Was I dreaming this?

"Hi Bella," Edward greeted, walking into the kitchen, where I stood. "Is everything okay? Why were you calling me?" My dad wheeled into the kitchen right behind him.

"What… I mean… Why?" I asked, stuttering to get anything coherent out.

"We did plan to go to church today, right?" He asked. I nodded my head.

"Edward showed up bright and early this morning," my dad explained, with a hint of irritation in his voice. "We've been getting to know each other a little better, while we waited for you to get ready."

"But I thought… Didn't you say…," I stammered again.

"You wanted me to give him a chance. So, I'm giving him a chance," my dad clarified. "Now get ready. We need to leave soon if we're going to make it on time."

I glanced between the two of them, curiously.

"Did you still want to go?" Edward asked. I nodded my head, with a smile. "Then you might want to get ready."

Suddenly realizing how I looked, I felt my entire body blush, from embarrassment. I ran past both of them and up to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror over the sink, hoping I didn't look as bad as I thought I did. I was wrong though. I looked worse. I buried my face in my hands in shame. How can I possibly go back down there to face him? He was probably thinking of changing his mind.

"Come on, Bella," my dad called. "We need to get going if we're going to get good seats."

"I'll be down in a second," I yelled. I jumped in the shower and washed up as quickly as possible. After I was done, I brushed my teeth and blow-dried my hair. I pulled out the make-up I never wore, to attempt to cover up the blotches on my face. I grabbed the first outfit I found in my closet, which was a simple, dark green dress. I pulled my sweater over my shoulders, slipped on my flat black shoes and called it good. It wasn't anything special, but neither was I.

I walked down the stairs, seeing my dad, waiting in the entryway.

"Edward is out warming up the truck. He'll be back in a minute," he informed.

I nodded my head, grabbing my dad's afternoon pill and a granola bar to eat on the way there.

"I'm sorry about last night," he whispered. I turned my head to look at him. His head was ducked, in shame. "I didn't mean to make you cry. I don't want to hurt you, Bella. I'm only worried about you."

"Dad, you're going to have to let me make my own decisions eventually. You need to trust me," I added.

"I know. And I'm starting to believe you, when you say Edward isn't as bad as I may think he is. We had a little time to talk and I'm willing to give him a chance, for your sake. I'm still cautious about the guy, but if he means enough to you, to cry over him; then I'll try to give him the benefit of the doubt. All I ask in return, is you be careful and not get so caught up in your feelings for him, you do something stupid."

I walked over to him and kissed him on the head, leaning down to give him a hug. "I won't Daddy. I promise."

Edward came back in the house and carried my dad down the steps to the truck. I could tell it was an uncomfortable moment for both of them. The first thing we needed to build, when it was warm enough to do so, was a ramp. A good one, with traction and hand rails. Right now, we had a makeshift one, but during the winter months and anytime it was raining, which was quite often, it was useless. It was too slick and it would probably end up killing my dad if he tried to use it.

I carried the wheelchair out to the truck and stuck it in the back. I walked over to the driver side of the truck to get in.

"Do you want to drive or do you want me to?" Edward asked.

"Why don't you drive," I suggested. "I think it might be better if I sat in the middle."

He let out a relieved sigh and nodded his head. He helped me into the truck and I slid across the seat, sitting in between my dad and Edward. The ride to the church was only about ten minutes, but with the awkward silence, it felt like longer.

We arrived, within minutes of church beginning. Edward helped my dad into his chair and I pushed him up to the doors. Edward nervously walked next to me, with his hands stuck in his pockets. I wondered what he was so nervous about.

We took seats in the back. Quite a few people noticed when we walked in and got excited looks on their faces, to see my dad here. Everyone loved my dad. He was the town hero in so many ways. As the service began, Edward seemed to relax, slightly, but he was still very tense. I wanted to ask him why. I wondered if it had anything to do with me. Maybe my appearance from this morning really did make him have second thoughts about dating me.

After the service, my dad was instantly surrounded by people. They all wanted to know how he was doing and expressed how happy they were to see him. I walked over to the refreshment counter and got him a cup of coffee so he could take his noon pill. I handed him the cup and discretely gave him the pill.

"Do you want anything?" I asked, Edward.

"Oh no, I'm fine, thank you."

I nodded my head, before walking over to the table and grabbing a cup of tea for myself. I lingered near the table for a while. Edward was making me uncomfortable, and I didn't want to be around him at the moment.

"Hi, Bella," Eric said.

I turned around to face him. Eric had always had a little bit of a crush on me, but I was never interested in him. He was a nice guy and always really sweet to me. I just always saw him as the friend and not a boyfriend. Although, dating him probably would have made my dad happier than dating Edward.

"Hi, Eric. How are you?" I greeted, pleasantly.

"I'm good. I'm glad you came today. You haven't been coming lately."

"Well, it's hard to go anywhere with the weather the way it is. Today Edward offered to drive me and my dad here."

He turned, noticing Edward watching us, intently. "I see. Is it part of his probation to do good deeds for others or something?" He asked.

"No," I answered. "He did it to be nice."

He hummed in a tone of disagreement. "Edward doesn't know how to be nice. He's got some sort of ulterior motive, I'm sure."

"Why does everyone assume he's doing something bad, when all he's doing is being nice?" I questioned, in an irritated tone.

"Bella, relax. I didn't mean anything by it. Don't get upset," he pleaded. "I just mean, he's not exactly seen as a saint and it has a lot of people around school and the town wondering what you're doing with him. Are you two dating or is this just some sort of therapy for him? I commend you by taking on the task of helping him out, if that's what you're doing. However, the thought of you two dating is a little disturbing. I can't imagine you being attracted to someone like him. You have also expressed to me so many times, the reason you don't date is because you want to focus on school. Did your priorities suddenly change? Or was that just an excuse to not date me?"

I placed my hand on his arm, in a comforting way. "Eric, I'm sorry. It has nothing to do with you. I do want to focus on school and my priorities haven't changed. But I enjoy spending time with Edward. We've gotten really close lately. What I do in my free time, with whoever I choose to do it with, is no one's business. They can think whatever they want. I know who I am and I know who Edward is. What other people think of us is none of my concern."

"So you want to be seen as his slutty girlfriend?" He asked, harshly. "How long until you're doing drugs and getting knocked up by him, Bella?"

I stared at him, with a shocked look. I couldn't believe he said that to me. Tears, sprung to my eyes instantly. Instinctively I raised my hand and slapped him across the face. He raised his hand to his face, rubbing his cheek.

"Bella," my dad shouted. Within seconds, Edward was standing in front of me, with a concerned look on his face.

"Bella, are you okay?" He asked. Tears were streaming down my face. I shook my head and ran towards the doors. I ran around the building and sat down on a step, in the back. I was hurt and humiliated. I didn't know what I was thinking, hitting him like I did. I did it in church too, which made it so much worse.

I sat on the step for only a few minutes before Edward found me. He sat down next to me, putting his jacket around my shoulders.

"What happened, Bella? What did he say?" He wondered.

I shook my head. "It's not important."

"Obviously it was important, if it made you slap him," he countered.

"I don't want to talk about it."

He dropped it. I leaned against his shoulder, continuing to cry. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, trying to comfort me. I didn't know why what Eric said bothered me so much. I knew it wasn't true. It just hurt to know people thought that of me. People I considered my friends. I felt like it was me and Edward against the world. Everyone was trying so hard to keep us apart and honestly, I wondered if it was even worth it. I liked him a lot and I wanted to be with him. But knowing what people thought of me, hurt. I didn't want it to bother me. I didn't want to care, but I couldn't help it.

"We should go find your dad and get you home," Edward suggested. I pulled away and wiped my eyes. He stood up and helped me to my feet. He guided me around the building to where many people were standing around. We spotted my dad, talking with Sue. As soon as he saw us, Edward dropped his arm from around my shoulders and took a step away from me.

My dad wheeled his chair over to us, looking back and forth between the two of us. "Are you ready to go?" He asked. I nodded my head, holding Edwards coat to me, closely.

We walked over to the truck and once again, Edward helped my dad into the passenger seat. I scooted across to the middle, hoping my dad didn't ask me what happened. I knew he would eventually. I just didn't want him to ask me around Edward.

"So, are you kid's hungry?" He asked. "I'm starving and I was thinking we could pick up a pizza for a late lunch. Maybe we could go back to the house and watch a movie. Sound good?"

"Sure, dad," I answered.

"Sounds fine to me," Edward added.

We pulled into the parking lot of the pizza place. My dad gave Edward some money and told him what to order. I thought about going in with him, but since I'd been crying I didn't want to.

As soon as he was gone, my dad turned to me and began the questioning.

"What did Eric say?" He asked.

"He just said something really hurtful and I got mad at him. I didn't mean to hit him. It just happened. I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry. If he said something hurtful to you, then I want you to stick up for yourself. I don't want any guy treating you badly. And truthfully I feel a little better about you dating Edward if I know you can do that kind of damage to a boy. Eric's face was bruised quite a bit."

I laughed, lightly. I wasn't laughing at what I did to Eric, but more to his comment about dating Edward, if he knew I could hit a boy like I did. "Would it surprise you if I told you I already hit Edward, once before?"

He laughed. "What did he do to make you hit him?"

"It was right after he ditched me at the banquet. We were at the soup kitchen and he was trying to apologize to me, but I wouldn't listen. Then Emmett pointed out how we were standing underneath mistletoe and Edward kissed me. I was still mad at him, so I hit him."

"He kissed you?" He repeated, clenching his jaw.

"I wasn't mad at him for kissing me, I was mad at him for ditching me and almost killing himself," I clarified.

He took a deep breath, glaring at the pizza place in front of us.

"Dad, don't be mad at him. He redeemed himself by what he did at Christmas. I forgave him for what he did. It's not a big deal anymore."

"It is a big deal if he forcefully kissed you. How many other times has he kissed you?"

"That's none of your business, dad," I countered. He grumbled, angrily. "Why are you acting like this? Did you say something to Edward to make him scared to even be around me? Is that why he won't even touch me?"

"How exactly do you want him to touch you?" He asked.

"Oh God, Dad," I whined, covering my face with the coat. "This is exactly why I slapped Eric. He called me a slut, just because I was dating Edward. I'm not a slut, Dad. I'm not doing anything inappropriate with Edward. All we've ever done is kiss. It's not a bad thing to kiss someone you care about. Edward has never done anything disrespectful to me and I know he never will. He's always been a complete gentleman with me. I wish people would stop looking at him, like he's a monster. He's trying to be better and everyone puts him down for it. No wonder he doesn't even want to try at times."

"Bella," he said, softly. He rubbed my shoulder with his hand. I shrugged it off and crossed my arms over my chest. "I didn't mean it to sound like you were a slut. I'm only trying to look out for you. I don't want him making you think you need to do certain… things, just because you care about him. I used to be a boy and I know how they think."

"I'm not stupid, Dad. I also know how to take care of myself. But Edward won't hurt me."

Before either of us could say anything more, Edward walked out carrying the pizza in his hands. He handed it to me and I passed it over to my dad. He held it in his lap, expressing how good it smelled and how he couldn't wait to eat. I remained cold and stone faced as we drove home. Edward glanced in my direction, periodically, with a concerned look.

When we pulled up to the house, Edward helped my dad into the house, and sat him down on the couch. I got him a plate of pizza, a beer, and handed him the remote. Edward was in the kitchen getting out two plates for us, when I walked back in. I grabbed his hand and dragged him up the stairs.

"Bella, where are you going?" My dad shouted after us.

"We'll be right back. I just need to give Edward something."

"Bella," he yelled again.

I pulled Edward through my bedroom door and shut it behind us. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him hard. He kissed me back, but it was hesitant and he wouldn't touch me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and pulled me away, holding me at arm's length.

He swallowed hard. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm kissing you," I answered, trying to pull him back to kiss him again. He pulled away, looking at me nervously.

"Bella, your dad is in the house. I don't think it's a good idea for us to be up here alone."

"What did my dad say to you?" I wondered. "Why are you afraid of even touching me?"

He walked a step closer to me and put his hand on my elbow. "I'm not afraid to touch you, Bella. I'm only trying to be respectful of your dad's rules. He doesn't want me to touch you. He said, I wasn't allowed to hold your hand or put my arm around you. I'm definitely not allowed to kiss you. I'm also not supposed to alienate you from any of your other friends. If I want your dad to trust me, I have to do as he says."

"So, in other words, this is going to be a strict platonic relationship?" I asked. I was frustrated with my dad, but even more so with him. He couldn't seriously be agreeing to this.

"No, Bella. I still want to kiss you and hold you in my arms or hold your hand. We just can't around your dad. Believe me, it's been torture not touching you in any way today. During the service, I wanted to reach over and hold your hand or put my arm around your shoulders, so everyone knew I was there with you. When I saw Eric talking to you, I got jealous; even more so, when you put your hand on his arm. I wanted to go over to you and tell him to get lost and not to talk to you ever again. But I knew I was being watched by your dad. He's testing me. He wants to know if I'm serious about you or if this is just some flavor of the month type thing, as he put it."

"Flavor of the month?" I wondered.

"He asked me this morning if I would consider you my girlfriend and wanted to know how many girlfriends I've had. He said when he was a boy he had a new girlfriend every month. He wanted to know if that's what you were for me."

"Am I?" I asked.

"Of course not," he assured, pulling me into his arms. "Bella, you know you aren't. But I need to prove it to your dad. This right here isn't helping me?"

I pulled away looking up at him bashfully. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I was just frustrated with everything that happened today and I wanted to prove a point to him."

"You may have wanted to prove a point, but it doesn't look good for me," he countered. I ducked my head in shame.

He raised my chin, with his fingers and gently pressed his lips to mine. I leaned into his body, as he pulled me close to him. We broke the kiss, once I heard my dad yelling up the stairs for me. I huffed, rolling my eyes. Edward laughed, squeezing my hand one last time, before opening the door and following me down the stairs.

He didn't look happy, as we descended the stairs. I needed to make this right, for Edward's sake.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I only wanted to show Edward my room. I've seen his, so it only seemed fair he saw mine," I tried to justify.

"When did you see his room?" He asked, with a furrowed brow. Edward sighed behind me. Oh shit. I just made everything worse.

"It was a while back. It wasn't a big deal. I just dropped Edward off at home and he needed help with something." It wasn't entirely a lie. I did drop Edward off and he did need my help to not feel all alone on the year anniversary of his dad's death. I just kept out how long I stayed there with him in his room. He grumbled at my response and wheeled himself back into the living room.

Edward and I went into the kitchen and grabbed our plates of pizza, before joining my dad in the living room. I picked out a movie and stuck it in for us to watch. Edward and I sat on the couch, while my dad remained in his wheel chair. Edward made sure to have at least two feet between us. I hated this rule thing my dad was enforcing.

After the movie was over, my dad suggested Edward, call his aunt and uncle to pick him up now.

"I can give you a ride," I offered.

"I don't think so, Bella," my dad insisted.

"Dad, it's a just a ride home."

"Bella, it's okay," Edward assured. "My aunt said she'd pick me up. It's fine."

He called his aunt and said he'd wait on the front porch for her. He told my dad goodbye, shaking his hand and thanking him for letting him stay to watch the movie and have lunch with us. My dad didn't look too thrilled with his politeness. I was starting to get the impression he was waiting for Edward to screw up somehow, so he could say, I told you so.

I insisted on waiting on the porch with him, until his aunt came. I grabbed my coat and followed Edward out the front door. We sat down on the first step, to wait.

"I think if I hadn't revealed so much to my dad, today, he wouldn't have such a problem with me driving you home. Unfortunately he knows too much now and he's probably going to lock me away in my bedroom until I'm thirty," I whined.

Edward laughed. "What is it you revealed?" He wondered.

I sighed. "You probably don't want to know. You'll be even more upset with me than you already are."

"Who said I'm upset with you?" He asked.

"You didn't, but I know you are."

He covertly reached over and linked our fingers together. "I'm not mad at you for anything. We just need to be careful, so he can trust us. Once I can win him over, things will be easier. I hope anyway."

"Well, what I did earlier, by dragging you up to my room wasn't good. And since he knows about me slapping you, because you kissed me and he knows we've kissed before, he isn't happy. It might be a long time before he lets me free."

"You told your dad all that?" He wondered.

I glanced up at his scared expression. "Yes," I admitted.

He sighed. "I'm just going to need to try harder then," he declared. I smiled, resting my head against his shoulder and squeezing his hand tightly. The fact he even considered trying to win my dad over at all was enough to prove to me, he was serious about being with me. I just wished my dad could see it.

Esme pulled up, a few minutes later. We both sighed heavily, not ready to say goodbye. We stood up and as much as I wanted to kiss him goodbye, I knew I couldn't. My dad was probably watching from the window the entire time. I'm surprised he allowed us to hold hands.

"I'll see you in the morning," he said.

"Yeah," I agreed.

As soon as he pulled away with his aunt, I walked back in the house and cleaned up the kitchen. I avoided my dad, as much as I could, for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, right before I went to bed, he called me into the living room.

"What's up, Dad?"

"I'd just like to know what you and Edward were really doing in your room earlier," he asked. I had two choices. I could either be honest or lie to him again. I'd never lied to my dad about anything. I was a horrible liar and probably why he knew I wasn't being honest with him earlier.

"We were kissing," I admitted. I could see his chest rising, in anger. "Dad, don't overreact. I was mad at you and did it out of spite. I kissed him and he made me stop. I can't believe you gave him a list of rules. But I can assure you, he's abiding by every one of them."

"He made you stop?" He asked, with a hint of a smile.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Dad, he made me stop. Does that prove to you now, he's not as horrible a guy as you may think he is?"

"Well, what about this time you were in his room? What happened then?" He wondered.

"Nothing happened," I replied, rolling my eyes.

"Will you stop rolling your eyes," he ordered, sternly. "It's not very respectful and you've never done this before. And you wonder why I'm cautious about you spending too much time with Edward. Now answer my question, honestly, without the word nothing, or rolling of the eyes."

I sighed. "It was the one year anniversary of his dad's death. He was really upset at school, so I drove him home. He asked me if I would stay with him for a little while, because he didn't want to be alone. We sat up in his room and watched movies all day. He didn't hold my hand. He didn't kiss me. He just needed a friend."

"His dad died?" He asked, shocked by my reply.

"Yeah, he died about a week before Christmas."

"I was under the impression he was sent up here to live with his aunt and uncle because he got in some serious trouble back in California."

"No, his mom died, shortly after he was born, from cancer. She refused to have any treatment while she was pregnant and after he was born, she had no fight left. His dad died about a year ago from a heart attack. He blames himself for both of their deaths and he didn't start doing drugs and drinking all the time until he moved here. It was the only way he knew how to cope."

"I didn't know, Bella," he insisted, regrettably.

"He's trying to put it past him and move forward, with the help of a counselor. He *is really trying Dad," I cried.

He motioned for me to come to him. I did and he wrapped me in a tight embrace. "I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't know. I'll try to be more, understanding, from now on."

"Thanks, Daddy," I whispered. I knew telling him the truth would be a better option.

"I still want you to be careful and think about consequences of your actions, but I'll lighten up on the restrictions."

I went to bed, feeling relieved, I told my dad the truth. Maybe now, things would be easier for me and Edward.

The next morning, I got ready in a hurry and rushed over to pick Edward up. He came running out the door as soon as he saw me pull into his driveway. He didn't even finish shutting the door, before he pulled my face to his, kissing me passionately.

I giggled into his mouth, pulling away slightly. "Don't you think your aunt and uncle might have the same reserves as my dad does if they saw us kissing?" I wondered.

"They don't care what I do," he argued.

"I think they care more than you think they do," I countered.

He sat back in his seat. "Are you suddenly saying you don't want me to kiss you?"

"No," I assured. "All I'm saying, is I think your aunt and uncle care more about you than you give them credit for. I think they care about you a lot."

"Maybe so," he agreed, leaning across the seat and running his knuckles across my cheeks. "But I don't think they're going to be as restrictive as your dad." He kissed me again, slowly and softly. I let myself go, feeling the rush of exhilaration run through me. Deep down I knew we were going to be late for school if we continued to kiss, but in the moment, I didn't care.

We didn't stop, until we heard a knock on the window. We pulled away, quickly, and glancing out the window. Esme stood there with a knowing smile. I glanced over at Edward, nervously, before rolling down the window.

"Hi, Bella," she greeted, politely. "I was curious if you would be free to come over for dinner this weekend. I know during the week is busy for you, so I thought on Saturday night you might be available. You did promise us a rain check for dinner the last time."

"Sure," I agreed. "It sounds like a great idea."

"Wonderful," she said, excitedly. "I'll start making arrangements right away."

"I'm looking forward to it."

"We need to get to school now, Aunt Esme," Edward cut in.

"Yeah, it might be a good idea," Esme agreed, with a giggle.

"Goodbye, Esme," I said.

"Goodbye, Dear. I'm looking forward to getting to know you better, this weekend."

I put the truck in reverse and pulled out of the driveway. We were both snickering as we drove to school. It was completely embarrassing to get caught kissing by Esme. She didn't seem to care, but the grin she had on her face, made it weird.

We got to school just in time to get to our first class. I hated how people stared at us as we walked down the halls together. I didn't want it to bother me, but it did. I wished people would mind their own business.

The rest of the week went rather well. School went about the same as always. At the soup kitchen, Edward and I still worked side by side. Occasionally he would pull me over to him, with wet hands and kiss me, while no one was looking. It didn't matter if his hands were wet, with dirty dish water. I always smiled when he would kiss me.

My dad had lightened up on Edward tremendously. He even agreed to let him come over to do homework after we were done at the soup kitchen. Whether or not the rules were still a requirement or not, he never said, so Edward kept our time together at my house, friendly.

On Thursday, I knew Edward had counseling. I figured I could get caught up on laundry or work on homework during that time. I wished I could spend the few hours I had free on that day with him, but I knew going to counseling was important. I didn't want him to miss it because of me.

At the end of school, I hurried to his locker in hopes of telling him goodbye, before he left. He stood there, with a huge grin on his face, like he was waiting for me.

"You have counseling today, right?" I asked, making sure nothing had changed. I'd be lying if I wasn't a little hopeful his schedule had changed.

"Yeah, I have counseling today," he agreed.

I nodded my head, a little sad.

"Would you like to come with me?" He asked.

I stared at him with a confused expression.

"What do you mean go with you? Do you need a ride?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, I do need a ride, but I want you to come to my counseling session too."

"Am I allowed to?"

"It's my counseling session. I can bring or say whatever I want. He's only there to listen and give me advice, if I ask for it."

"You really want me to come with you?" I asked, just to clarify what he was saying.

"Yes, Bella," he laughed. "I really want you to come with me. I kind of need you to come with me."

"Why," I asked, curiously.

He gave me a light kiss, before wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "You'll see."

We climbed into my truck and he gave me the directions to the place.

"I need to make a quick stop at the ice cream shop first," he instructed. I nodded in understanding and drove to the only ice cream shop in the town. We got out and walked in to the shop. He told me it was a requirement for me to order something. I wondered why, but he wouldn't answer me. I asked for a hot fudge sundae, so Edward ordered three of them.

We drove the rest of the way to the counseling office and pulled into the parking lot. He got out, grabbing his bag and carrying two sundaes in his hands.

I got out, carrying my own sundae, nervously. "What are we doing? Is it okay to bring food in here? Are you sure it's okay for me to be here?"

He laughed. "It's fine. I promise."

He clumsily opened the door for me, while holding the sundaes in his hands. I tried to help him, but he wouldn't let me.

He walked over to the front desk and checked in. The secretary said he was ready for him and could go right back to his office. Again, Edward opened the door for me. I still didn't know how he did it, holding both of those sundaes.

He had a grin on his face as we walked back. Thankfully his counselor met us at the door and held it open for us. I looked at him with nervous eyes. I kept expecting him to tell me I wasn't allowed and I'd have to wait out front, but he didn't. He nodded his head in greeting as we walked in. He introduced himself as Mr. Greene and asked me to take a seat anywhere I'd like. There were two chairs sitting directly in front of his desk as well as an office chair near the couch. I waited for Edward, figuring I'd sit where ever he did.

He sat the sundae on Mr. Greene's desk, and then pulled out an iPod, and something made of wood out of his backpack. He sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk, and took a bite of his sundae. I slowly took the seat next to him. I still didn't know what was going on.

"So, what did you bring me?" Mr. Greene asked, looking over all the items.

"You asked me to bring in things that make me happy," he began. "So, I brought an ice cream sundae. This one is for you." He picked up the extra one and handed it to him across the table. Mr. Greene smiled and took it graciously. "I brought this picture frame, I made in woodshop. I'm not great at building things yet, but I like working with wood. I also brought my iPod, because I like music and it normally puts me in a good mood. And I brought Bella, because out of everything, she makes me the happiest."

I stared at him in astonishment. He glanced over at me grinning from ear to ear. I made him happy? He'd never said I made him happy before. My heart filled with pride as he said it. I wanted to make him happy.

He planned all of this. He wanted me to come with him, for the sole purpose of telling me in his own way, I was important to him. I think I fell even harder for him in that moment.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay on this chapter. I've been having some family illness issues, and my beta just moved her family of 6 to a new home. I think things are slowing down now, so chapters should start to come a lot faster. **

**Like I did on my other story, Don't Give Up On Me, I will be giving a teaser of the next chapter for this story as well as a teaser for the story I donated to _"Fandom For Preemies"_ to anyone who leaves a review. You can find information about this cause on my profile.**

**In other news, if anyone reading this story has also read _"If This Is Fate"_ or _"Breaking Free"_ I have decided to write a futuretake for both of them and donate them to _"Fandom Against Domestic Violence"_ in January. There is information about this cause on my profile as well.**

**I have to say thank you to my wonderful beta, bzeemomof4, who isn't only my beta, but my best friend. She was getting ready to head to LA today to see "Welcome To The Riley's" but she took some time out of her busy schedule to get this beta'd for me. So thank you and have lots of fun. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters involved.**

* * *

**EPOV**

Bringing Bella to counseling with me was a must. I wanted her to know how important she was and why I was doing this in the first place. I would never be where I am now, if it wasn't for her. She made me wake up. She broke through the darkness and brought light back into my life.

Mr. Greene asked her so many questions about how she felt about me going to counseling and if she thought I was doing a good job at staying away from temptations. I could tell Bella was thrilled to be a part of this with me and be able to tell Mr. Greene how well I was doing. I don't think she realized the only reason I was doing so well was all because of her. I wanted to be better for her. I wanted to be normal again for her.

She drove me home after counseling was over. When she pulled into my driveway, she parked her truck and sat across from me silently. I got the impression she wanted to say something, but she wouldn't.

"You aren't upset about me bringing you to my counseling session, are you?" I asked.

"No," she insisted, turning to look at me. "I was a little surprised you brought me, but I'm not upset."

I reached over taking her hand in mine. "You mean a lot to me, Bella. I wouldn't be where I am now, without you."

She smiled, sliding across the seat, and leaned her head against my shoulder. I rested my cheek against the top of her head.

"Thank you for bringing me with you today. It meant a lot to me, to know I mean so much to you. I'm glad I can help you," she said.

We sat there in a comfortable silence for quite a while. I didn't want her to leave. I wished there was a day we could just be together all day and not have any interruptions.

"I need to get to work," she suddenly informed. I sat up, taking in a long breath.

"Are you still planning to come over on Saturday?" I asked.

"I promised Esme, I would."

"She's really excited about you coming over. My uncle is looking forward to officially meeting you too. He didn't get a chance to talk to you much at the Christmas dinner."

"Are they going to like me?" She wondered, nervously.

"Why wouldn't they like you, Bella?" I wondered. "I think they might already love you, for all you've done for me."

She smiled, ducking her head.

"Would you like to do something with me on Saturday before dinner?" I asked.

"Sure," she replied, excitedly. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking maybe ice skating?"

"Ice skating?" She repeated, with a worried look.

"Do you not like ice skating?"

"It's not that, it's just I've never been. I don't think I'll be very good at it. Coordination isn't my strong point."

I laughed. "I'm not the best either. But I promise I won't let you fall."

She bit her lip, nervously. "Okay," she agreed.

"Great," I said, with a smile. I leaned across the seat, giving her a quick kiss, before jumping out of the truck. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I walked in the house, after Bella pulled out of the driveway. Something smelled really good and I was curious what Esme was cooking.

I dropped my bag by the stairs and walked into the kitchen. I expected to see Esme, but instead I saw Carlisle, decked out in an apron and cooking something over the stove.

"What are you doing?" I wondered, curiously.

"Esme's working late tonight, so I'm attempting to cook dinner for us," he answered.

I laughed. "What are you making?" I sat down at the bar to watch.

"I made us cheese steak sandwiches. It's not as good if we got them in Philly, but they'll do."

"Well, I've never been to Philly, so I won't have anything to compare it to," I informed.

"We'll need to change that, one of these days," he suggested, holding out a plate for me.

I chuckled, taking the plate from him. I looked down at the monstrous sandwich in front of me. "Does Esme know we're eating this?" I wondered.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her. I've been craving one of these for weeks now, and I know she'll never allow me to eat it. As soon as she told me we were on our own for dinner tonight, I went to the store to pick up ingredients."

Esme was always making sure we ate healthy and this was definitely not healthy.

"This is something every man needs to experience in his lifetime, so eat up," he ordered.

I picked up the sandwich and began eating. It was actually really good and before I knew it, both of us had completely stuffed ourselves.

"I'll clean up the mess after my stomach settles," Carlisle informed, lounging across the couch. I took the chair across from him, lounging across it to settle my stomach as well.

"I can help you clean up," I offered.

"Thanks, Edward."

We sat silently for a while, letting our stomach's settle.

"How did counseling go today?"

"It was good. I brought Bella with me to this meeting," I informed. "I might bring her to all my meetings."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" He wondered. "I mean, this is _your_ counseling, not Bella's."

"But she's the reason I'm doing it. I wouldn't be here without her. I think she needs to be a part of it."

He hummed for a minute, thinking over what I said.

"What?" I questioned.

"I'm a little concerned with this dependence you have on Bella. Edward, you need to do this for yourself, not for her. She's not responsible for you. What are you going to do if she's not around anymore?"

"Why wouldn't she be around?"

"I'm just saying, there's always a chance you two could break up. Or what if either of you go off to college in a couple years? You need to better yourself on your own and not depend on her. Don't do this for her, do it for you. She's going to respect you so much more if you do," he explained.

"Are you saying I should break up with her until I'm cured?"

He laughed. "Edward, you're never going to be cured. You'll always struggle with alcohol and substance abuse, but with time it will get better. And I'm not saying you need to break up with Bella. I think she's good for you in a lot of ways. All I'm saying is don't make her feel like if she's not around, you'll relapse. Don't make her out to feel like the guilty one if something goes wrong in your recovery. Alcoholism is something really hard to get through and I don't think it's just going to go away without some repercussions."

"I don't want her to feel guilty for my mistakes," I said.

"Then don't make her feel like she's responsible for your recovery either."

He made a good point. I never really thought about it, but in a way, I was setting her up to be the only reason I was trying to do better. She didn't need that kind of burden.

"She's coming over for dinner on Saturday night. Are you going to be here?" I asked, changing the subject a little.

"I should be. Esme will kill me if I'm not. I think this dinner is more important to her, than it is anyone else." He laughed. "I think Esme likes Bella more than you do."

"I don't know if that's possible," I laughed. "Bella's really worried about the dinner, though. She's afraid neither of you will like her."

"You make sure to tell her, she has nothing to be worried about," he insisted.

"I will."

After a while of relaxing, we went into the kitchen and cleaned it up, before Esme got home. We cleaned it so well there was no way she would ever know what we ate.

For the rest of the night I did homework and listened to music. Around nine-thirty, my phone began ringing on my desk. I hopped up and ran over, to see who it was.

I sighed when I saw it was Mike. I contemplated not answering, but I couldn't help it.

"Hello."

"Dude, I'm on my way to get you. There's this huge party in Port Angeles and we have to go," he informed.

"I can't."

"What the fuck, dude? What has gotten into you? Come on, it's one little party. You act like you don't even want to hang out with your real friends anymore. Everyone's been asking about you, but since you got involved with Bella, you're never around. Come on, I'll have you back by morning."

I sighed, trying to decide what to do. I could still go and not drink. I could resist the drugs and alcohol and only go to see my old friends. In a way, this could be a test to see if I could do it or not. "Alright, I'll get ready."

I hung up the phone, and went to put my shoes on and grab my jacket. Just as I was about to leave my room, my phone rang again. I dug it out of my pocket to answer.

"I'm on my way down," I said, rudely. I thought it was Mike telling me he was here, so I didn't even bother looking at the caller ID.

"Edward?" A soft voice asked.

"Bella? Why are you calling? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just… I wanted someone to talk to."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing really," she replied. I could tell she was lying. "It's just… I'm worried about this weekend. Dinner with your aunt and uncle has me a little nervous. Is it going to be a formal thing? Do I need to wear a dress? I feel like I need to take an etiquette class before I come."

I laughed, uncontrollably.

"Stop laughing at me," she insisted. "It's not funny, Edward."

"Bella, my aunt and uncle are not worried about what you wear or whether or not you know what fork to use. They just want to get to know you. We'll probably come straight here after we go out."

"I have to at least change my clothes, before we go," she insisted.

I laughed again. "It's not a big deal. It's just dinner. But if you want to go back to your house to change before we come here, we can. Whatever you want to do is fine. But please don't worry about what you wear or etiquette. It's not important."

I heard her sigh. "Okay. I just want to make a good impression on them."

"You already have. There's nothing to be worried about."

"What are you doing right now?" She wondered.

I couldn't tell her the truth. She'd be upset if she knew I was about to go to a party with Mike.

"I just finished homework. Now I'm listening to music," I lied.

"I haven't even started my homework," she complained. "It's going to be a long night for me."

I saw the lights shine through my window, indicating someone was pulling into my driveway. I peeked out the window, seeing Mike's car.

"Then I should probably let you go, so you can get working on it. I don't want to keep you up all night."

"You're probably right. I should get started on it. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight, Bella." I hung up the phone and rushed downstairs. Thankfully, Carlisle was fast asleep on the couch and Esme wasn't home yet, so it wasn't hard to sneak out. I hopped in the car, and we drove away.

We walked into the house where the party was and it was like old times. Loud music, smoke filled rooms and the smell of alcohol everywhere you went. I noticed many people I knew from past parties.

"Edward," Emily and Bree shrieked simultaneously. They ran over to me, grabbing on to my wrists and pulling me across the room. "It's been forever since you've been around. What happened to you?"

"I'm just trying to do a few things differently," I answered.

"What kind of things?" Bree asked.

"I'm not drinking or doing any drugs anymore. I've started seeing a counselor to help me."

Both of them let go of my arms and took a step back. They turned to each other, with a peculiar look on their faces.

"Well, good luck with that," Emily said. "We'll uh… see you later."

They walked away, and began whispering with each other. I guess they had no interest now, since I wasn't drinking with them.

I was actually doing really well at not drinking or being tempted to smoke something. However, as the night progressed, rumors started swirling about me. I was dared by Tyler and Mike to drink a shot with them. I tried to get out of it at first, but it was only one shot. I picked up the shot glass of tequila, as did Mike and Tyler, and downed it with one quick gulp. One shot turned into two shots and before I knew it, I had downed nearly half a bottle of tequila. I was passed a joint and without even thinking I took a couple hits from it.

The room started spinning and I was sweating profusely. I knew any minute I was going to either puke or pass out.

"I guess the goody-two-shoes image wasn't your thing," Mike laughed. "I'm sure prissy little Bella will love this."

I stumbled out of the house, into the front yard and puked my guts out. I felt so sick. I haven't felt this bad since the night I was taken to the hospital.

I didn't know what to do or where to go. Mike was obviously not going to help me out at all.

I pulled out my phone, wondering if I should try to call Esme or Carlisle. They would be furious with me if they knew. Bella would be more upset if she knew. But who else could I call?

Thankfully, since she was the last person to call me, all I had to do was push one button, instead of trying to punch in her number.

"Hello," she answered, groggily.

"Bella," I breathed.

"Edward, are you okay?" She asked.

"No, I'm sorry."

"Where are you?" She questioned.

"I'm at a party in Port Angeles."

I could hear the sobs building in her voice. "Are you drunk?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I'm sorry."

"Where are you? I'll come get you."

"I don't know."

"Can you see anything around you to help me out?" She asked.

I opened my eyes and looked around. It was really hard to see anything. "There's an address number on the side of the house. I think it's five-three-one. I'm not sure, though. I can't see it clearly. I'm so sorry."

"Just stay put. I'll come find you."

I hung up the phone and once again puked in the grass. I lied down in the cold grass, closing my eyes to rest for a minute.

I don't how long I was out, but the next thing I remember was Bella screaming my name frantically. I opened my eyes as far as I could and looked up at her. She sighed in relief.

"Come on. We need to get you home."

"Aww, look at that. Bella came to rescue Edward. You both are pathetic," I vaguely heard Mike shout at us.

Bella helped me climb into her truck, before hopping in and driving away, without ever saying a word to anyone watching and cracking jokes.

"I think they put something in my drink. It's not normal for me to be this out of it," I theorized.

"Should I take you to the hospital?" She asked, in a worried tone.

"No. I don't want to go to the hospital. I'll be fine. I just… Oh God. Can you pull over?"

She quickly pulled off to the side of the road and I jumped out, puking again in the bushes.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," she insisted, once I was done.

"No. I can't go to the hospital. They'll report me drinking again and I'll get in trouble. I just need to sleep it off. I'll be fine tomorrow."

She huffed, in anger, before driving again.

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying you're sorry. I don't want to hear it," she demanded. I kept my mouth shut the rest of the drive back to Forks. I think I went in and out of consciousness during the drive.

When we reached my house, she helped me out and led me up to the front door. I pulled out my keys and handed them to her. She struggled to find the right one, but eventually found it and helped me inside.

All the lights were off, so I knew Carlisle and Esme were already in bed. I hoped I didn't wake them up with my struggle up the stairs.

Bella led me to my bed and I fell flat on my face against it. She helped me take off my shoes and jacket and crawl into bed. I could barely keep my eyes open.

"I think I should get your uncle," she suggested. "You don't look good."

"No, please Bella, don't. I'll be fine. Just stay with me. I don't want to be alone."

I put out my hand to her, urging her to come closer to me. Hesitantly, she came closer and placed her hand in mine. I pulled her to me on the bed. She flipped the lamp off and snuggled into the bed next to me. I held her close to me, unwilling to let her go. I hummed at the feel of her body next to me.

"Get some sleep, Edward," she urged, running her fingers gently through my hair. Within minutes, I was fast asleep.

I didn't wake up until mid afternoon the next day. I rolled over on the bed, realizing Bella was gone. I searched the room for my phone, but I couldn't find it anywhere, near me, and there was no way I was getting up to search for it.

Moments later Carlisle walked in whistling a tune. He placed a glass of water and a couple Tylenol on the night stand next to me.

"Sit up and take the Tylenol," he ordered. "Then you need to eat."

I groaned at the thought of food.

"Now, Edward."

I huffed, pulling myself to a sitting position. I grabbed the Tylenol off the nightstand and swallowed them down. He held out a plate of food to me. I felt like puking, just looking at it.

"You need to eat. If you don't, you won't feel any better."

"You are aware this will probably all come back up, right?" I pointed out.

"It probably will, but that isn't the point. Now eat," he demanded.

I poked a piece of egg and stuck it in my mouth. My stomach turned as I swallowed it.

"Are you going to explain what happened?" He asked.

I sighed, heavily. "Mike called and wanted me to come to a party with him. I thought I could handle it. I wanted to test myself."

"And obviously you failed. Edward the whole idea of getting treatment is to avoid temptation. Not test yourself with it, especially not this soon. What were you thinking?"

"I don't know. I thought I could handle it."

"Bella was frantic this morning. I didn't even know she was here. She walked out of your room, just as Esme and I were getting up and practically scared us both to death."

"Where is she?" I asked.

"I told her to go home and get some rest. She spent the entire night watching you. She was so worried you were going to stop breathing in your sleep. I felt sorry for the girl. She looked so exhausted. Neither Esme or I were expecting to wake up to this again."

"Normally, I can handle it, but I think they put something in my drink. I didn't feel right last night."

"Regardless of whether or not you can handle it, you shouldn't have done it in the first place. What made you decide to go to a party, where you knew there was going to be drugs and alcohol?"

"Carlisle, please save the lecture," I begged. "My head is pounding. I don't need a bigger headache. I know I fucked up. Now can you please just leave me alone?"

"Fine," he accepted. "But I think you owe Bella an apology. She didn't deserve to be dragged into your mess."

He left the room, and I dropped the plate of food on the floor. I was not in the mood to eat anything. I just wanted to sleep.

I slept the rest of the day and well into the evening too. I didn't wake up again, until I heard someone walk through my door. I turned my head to see who it was. Bella's silhouette stood in the doorway. I flipped over and sat up, quickly. I reached up to turn on the lamp, as she closed the door.

"Are you okay?" She asked. She wouldn't come near me. Her back remained flush against the back of the door.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I assured.

"I just wanted to make sure. I'll leave you alone, so you can sleep." She turned around to leave.

"Wait," I begged. I hopped out of the bed and flew across the room to stop her. My head started spinning the minute I was on my feet again.

I slammed against the wall next to her, still a little faint from the alcohol. Bella jumped and blinked her eyes a few times.

"I'm sorry. I didn't have any intention of getting drunk last night."

"You don't need to explain it to me. I don't need to know."

"Bella, please," I pleaded. "I'm sorry. You have to forgive me."

"You didn't do anything to me. You don't have anything to apologize for. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Why don't I believe you?" I questioned.

She looked up at me with sad eyes. "I brought your homework over. I thought you might want to work on it during the weekend."

"Did you go to school?" I asked.

"Yeah," she answered. "As soon as I left here, I went home to shower and went to school. I just left the soup kitchen."

"Oh shit. I missed it. I'm sorry."

"Edward, will you stop apologizing to me?" She shouted. "I don't want to hear apologies. I don't care whether you come to the soup kitchen with me. I don't care if you go to parties and get drunk. I don't care what you do." She began crying. I pulled her into my arms and held her tightly. She wrapped her arms around me, sobbing into my chest. I shushed her, and brushed my fingers through her hair. "I can't do this Edward. I can't go through this anymore. I can't watch you do this to yourself."

"It won't happen again. I promise. I'll do better," I whispered against her hair.

"You've said that before. I want to believe you, but how can I?"

I pulled her face away, to look directly in her eyes. "It'll never happen again. I'll do whatever I have to. You are more important to me than anything else. Please, just give me another chance."

"How many second chances am I going to need to give you?" She asked.

I swallowed hard. "This will be the last. I promise it won't happen again. If it does, then I'll understand if you never want to talk to me. I won't expect you to give me any more chances. I won't even ask for it."

I wiped her tears away with my thumbs. She glanced up at me and nodded her head. I kissed her forehead and pulled her back into my arms.

"I promise Bella, this is the last time."

I held her in my arms for as long as I possibly could, before she insisted she had to go. I walked her out to her truck and watched her leave.

Not ten minutes later I called her, just to be sure she made it home safely. Once I knew she was home and not upset anymore, I went downstairs to find something to eat. I was starving. I really wanted another one of those cheese steak sandwiches, but we didn't have stuff for it anymore, so I just made a plain sandwich instead. I spent the rest of the night, watching TV and sleeping.

Early the next morning, I was awoken by my phone ringing.

"Hello," I asked, still half asleep.

"Hey man, it's Emmett. Where were you last night? Bella said you were sick. She didn't look so hot herself. She seemed really upset."

I grumbled. "I sort of fucked up the other night."

"What did you do?" He wondered.

I sighed, sitting up in bed. "I went to a party and got wasted. I had to call Bella to come get me," I revealed.

"Edward," he complained.

"I know. I'm an idiot. I thought I could handle it."

"Well, what did Bella say? Is she mad at you? Did she break up with you?"

"She didn't break up with me. At least, I don't think she did. I think she's more disappointed than mad. I don't know how to fix it."

"I think the best thing you can do, is show her how committed you are to do better. Maybe going to counseling once a week isn't enough. Maybe you need to do more."

"Like what?"

"For one, staying away from people, who are going to tempt you," he began. "And second, you need to find something to do with your time, so you aren't out bored and looking for something to do."

"I want to do better. I want her to know how hard I'm trying. I just don't know how I can do it."

"Edward, you made one mistake. If you think you aren't ever going to make mistakes, then you're crazy. I'm sure Bella's aware being with you isn't going to be easy. I think she's willing to take the risk, though. You just need to prove to her, you're worth the trouble."

"We're supposed to go ice skating today. I don't know if she still plans to go with me," I said. "She's supposed to come over for dinner tonight too. Knowing her, she'll come regardless, just because she promised Esme."

"She probably will," he agreed.

I grumbled, running my hand through my hair in frustration.

"Just relax, Edward. Things will work out. You need to fix it, though."

"I'll do my best," I promised.

"Well, there was another reason why I was calling," he informed. "I'm looking to hire someone to do a little work for me for a while. I thought you might be interested."

"You're offering me a job?" I asked, in shock.

"Yes, I am," he laughed. "It's nothing big. It's only for a couple hours, after school each day, just to come and run some errands for me."

"Grunt work?" I complained.

"Basically," he agreed. "But I think it'd be good for you. You need some distractions, good distractions."

"You're probably right."

"Are you accepting the job?" He wondered.

I sighed. "Sure, why not," I accepted.

"Great. Starting Monday, I expect you be here no later than three-thirty."

"I'll do my best, but I'll probably have to walk, so I might be a little late. Also, I can't work on Thursday's since I have counseling."

"Whatever works, I'll take."

"Why are you being so nice to me? I mean, anyone else wouldn't ever consider hiring me if I was looking, yet you're willing to offer me a job, when I'm not even looking?"

"Edward, I know you've had a tough life. I also know, deep down, you're a good kid. I want you to succeed and be the person I know, and Bella knows you can be. I'm only trying to help."

"Thanks, Emmett," I said. "I'll be there Monday."

"See you then."

I hung up with Emmett and quickly called Bella. It went straight to voicemail.

"Hi, Bella, it's me. I know you're probably at work. I don't want to bother you, but I just wanted to find out if we were still going ice skating today. I guess I'll be waiting for you to come by, around one. I hope you still want to go. I'll understand if you don't, though."

There was so much more I wanted to say to her, but I couldn't say it on her voicemail. I didn't even know how to put it into words, what I wanted to say.

I got up and took a shower and got ready for the day. I went into the kitchen and made something to eat, since both Esme and Carlisle were gone. I spent the rest of the day watching TV and waiting for Bella.

I started to worry she wasn't coming, when it got to be one and I still hadn't heard a word from her. She didn't call to confirm or let me know she wasn't coming. I thought about calling her back, but if she truly was avoiding me, I didn't want to bother her.

I stared out the window, obsessively waiting for her to come. Eventually the suspense got to me, so I went outside and sat on the front step. I played with a rock, on the ground, out of nervousness. By one-thirty, I was sure she wasn't coming. I was just about to go back in the house and wallow in self-pity, when I heard the familiar roar of her truck, coming up the road.

I turned my head, grinning from ear to ear, when she pulled up in front of me. I walked around to the passenger side and hopped in. I leaned over, placing my hand on her cheek and kissed her lips. She pulled away and looked down, just as I did it. I leaned away from her, realizing she was still upset and I probably shouldn't have expected everything to be like it was before.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"The ice rink in Port Angeles," I answered.

She pulled out of the driveway and headed out on the highway. We were both silent at first. I was too afraid to talk to her. I knew if I tried, I'd probably say something wrong. I didn't want to upset her even more. However the silence was killing me.

"I was afraid you weren't coming," I said.

She glanced over at me. "I seriously considered not coming. But I'm not going to let one mess up, ruin this. I know you're going to struggle. I know it's going to be hard for both of us. And I'm willing to stick by you as long as you want me to."

"Bella, I don't want my problems to be hard on you. I was wrong for making you feel like my recovery is your responsibility. I only want you to have fun with me. I don't want you to be a part of the bad parts. I shouldn't have called you the other night. I wish I hadn't. I wish you didn't have to see me like that."

"I'm sticking by you, Edward," she repeated. "I know being with you is going to be a challenge. I'm expecting it. I don't want just the good parts of you, I want all of you. I'm actually glad you called me the other night. The way all those people were acting when I got there, made me think they planned to leave you out in the cold to die. I hate to think what would have happened if I hadn't showed up when I did."

"It won't happen again. I'm not going to any more parties or hanging out with any of them anymore," I promised. "Actually, Emmett called today and offered me a job."

"He did?"

"Yeah," I responded. "It's only for a couple hours each day, but it'll give me something to do. With a job, plus the soup kitchen, and counseling, I should be busy enough, I won't think about hanging out with those guys anymore."

"Good," she said. "I don't like them. I never have and I don't want you involved with them."

I reached over, slowly taking her hand in mine. I wasn't sure if she'd accept my gesture, but she did. I think I saw a small hint of a smile too.

"I know I've said it so many times already and you got mad at me for saying it, but I really am sorry. I never meant to get drunk at the party. I only went to see some old friends. I guess they aren't the greatest friends, though."

She never did respond to my apology. I figured she was still unwilling to accept my apology. I remained quiet for the rest of the drive. I hoped by the end of the day, she'd be willing to forgive me.

We pulled into the ice skating rink, and went inside to pay for a session. We picked out our skates and went to the bench to put them on.

"Like I said before, I've never done this. All the little kids here are probably going to skate circles around me," Bella pointed out.

I laughed. "You'll do fine." I stood to my feet, and reached out my hand for hers. "Just hold my hand and don't let go."

She took my hand with a smile on her face and stood up. I slowly led her out to the ice. At first, she was so scared to let go of the wall.

"Bella, I've got you. I won't let you fall."

Slowly she let go of the wall and squeezed my hands tighter. We skated out further on the ice, amongst everyone else. I skated backwards, leading her around the rink.

"How are you so good at this?" She asked. "I thought you said you weren't a good skater?"

"When I was a kid, I played ice hockey for about five years. I knew how to skate, I just wasn't very fast. I couldn't control the puck and skate at the same time," I explained.

She slipped a little, grabbing onto me tighter. I pulled her close, holding her up, so she didn't fall. She laughed, at her slip-up. I couldn't help but laugh too.

We skated around the rink hand in hand many times. As time went by, she got better and better at skating. She seemed to be having lots of fun. We were laughing and goofing around. It was fun. We fell back into the mode of normal. There wasn't anything wrong or anything to fear. I wanted it to be this way all the time. I didn't want her to wonder when the next time I'd screw up would be. I wanted her to trust me, and feel safe with me.

"Do you want to try it on your own?" I asked.

She looked up at me with frightened eyes. "Are you serious? Edward, you can't let go of me."

"I'm right here. I'll catch you if you fall," I promised. "Try it."

I led her to an area where there weren't a lot of people.

"I'll get you going and slowly let go. Just do what you've been doing this whole time. You can do this, I'm sure of it. You're a much better skater than you think you are."

"It's easy when I have you to hold on to," she complained.

I laughed. "Do you trust me?"

She looked into my eyes, with absolute sincerity. "Yes."

I took her hands, leading her out, waiting for her to get her balance. Slowly, I let go of her hands, but still stayed close to catch her if she fell.

She smiled proudly, once she realized she was on her own.

"See, it's not so hard," I pointed out.

I skated a little farther away, still watching her closely.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?" I wondered.

"For challenging me," she explained. "I've always done everything safe. I've never done anything remotely dangerous or rebellious. I would never have thought of going ice skating, because I know I'd fail. Everything I do with you is an adventure. I like how you take me to do things, I've never experienced."

I skated closer to her, holding onto her hips, and looking down at her. "Ice skating is not much of a challenge."

"For me, it is," she countered.

I smiled down at her and pressed my lips to hers. This time, she didn't pull away, like she did in the truck. I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and got lost in her eyes. We had pretty much come to a complete stop in the rink and neither one of us were paying much attention to anything around us.

All of a sudden, a group of kids sped past us and knocked into us. We both toppled to the ice. At first, I began to laugh, thinking it was pretty funny, how some little kids knocked us over. But when I saw Bella wasn't laughing and trying really hard to hold in her cries, I knew something was wrong.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I asked, frantically. I crawled across the ice to her.

"It's my wrist. It hurts," she cried. She cradled her arm to her chest, refusing to let me look at it. I could tell by the look on her face and the tears, she couldn't hold in anymore, it was serious.

I helped her to her feet and led her out of the rink. I pulled off my skates in a rush and threw on my shoes. I pulled her skates off and didn't bother putting her shoes on her. I just picked them up, lifted Bella into my arms and carried her out to the truck. I placed her in the truck and rushed around to the driver's side. I sped out of the parking lot so fast. The adrenaline running through me, made it really hard to concentrate.

"Edward, it really hurts," she cried.

"It'll be okay. I'll get you to the hospital. My uncle will take a look at it."

I sped down the road, making it back to Forks in less than a half hour. I'm surprised I didn't crash on the way.

I picked her up and carried her to the doors of the emergency room. I glanced down at her arm, which was bright red and swelling. I knew it had to be bad.

"Is Carlisle Cullen here?" I shouted at the front desk.

"What happened?" The secretary asked.

"She fell at the ice rink. I think her arm is broken," I explained. "Can you please get Dr. Cullen?"

"Alright, I'll get him. You need to relax." She walked over to the other side of the desk and got out an icepack. "Have her put this on the arm, and have a seat. I'll try to find Dr. Cullen."

She put the icepack on Bella's arm and walked away. I went to the waiting area and sat down in a chair, still holding Bella in my arms. She whimpered, trying to hold in her cries. All I could do was try my best to comfort her. It's all my fault. I should have never let go of her. I should have never kissed her while we were on the ice. I should have never taken her skating in the first place.

"My uncle will be here soon. It'll be okay, I promise. I'm so sorry, Bella," I breathed in regret.

"What's happened, Edward?" Carlisle asked, coming around the corner.

"Carlisle," I said in a rush. "She fell on the ice. I think her arm's broken. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"It's alright, Edward. It's not your fault," he insisted. "Follow me."

I followed him down the hall, and placed Bella on a table in one of the curtained examining rooms.

"You need to wait outside," Carlisle ordered.

"But…" I began.

"Edward, I need to do my job. It's nothing to be so upset about. It looks like it's only a broken bone. It's easily fixed. Now, why don't you go call her dad and let him know what happened. You might want to call Esme too and make sure she knows dinner is probably off for tonight. I'll come get you, when we're done."

"Okay," I agreed. I looked back at Bella one last time. She gave me a weak smile. I tried to give her a smile of encouragement, but I think I failed.

I went down the hall and sat back in the waiting room. I pulled out my phone and dialed Bella's house phone number.

Charlie answered almost immediately.

"Charlie, this is Edward. I don't want you to panic, but Bella got hurt."

What do you mean she's hurt? What did you do to her?" He shouted.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt her," I apologized.

"What did you do to my daughter? Where is she? I swear to God, if you hurt her, I will hunt you down."

"She's going to be okay. Carlisle is looking over her now."

He took a calming breath, trying to compose himself. "What happened?"

"We went ice skating in Port Angeles. She fell on the ice, and I think she may have broken her arm. I got her here as fast as I could. My uncle will take care of her."

He sighed in relief. "Can I talk to her?"

"She's still in the examining room. I'll bring her home as soon as she's released," I promised.

"You better. Tell her to call me too. I want to know she's okay," he demanded.

"I'll tell her," I promised. "I'm really sorry, Charlie. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Just get her home."

He hung up the phone without saying anything more. I could tell in the tone of his voice, he was mad at me. So much for trying to get on his good side, I thought.

I called Esme next and told her what happened. She was worried about Bella and wanted me to keep her informed on what happened.

I waited in the waiting room for over an hour. Finally, I saw Carlisle walking down the hall, leading Bella out to me. I stood up in a shot, looking her over.

Her face was streaked with tears. Her eyes were red and puffy. She had a cast on her arm, too. She barely looked up at me, when she reached me.

"Edward, you can take Bella home now," Carlisle instructed. I nodded my head, wrapping my arm around Bella's shoulders to lead her out. "She's on some pretty strong pain medication, so she needs to go straight home and get some sleep."

"Alright, I'll drive her home."

"If you need anything, Bella, you know how to reach me," Carlisle reminded. She sniffled and nodded her head.

I led her out to the truck and helped her get seated. I drove slowly, thinking it would be easier on her.

"I'm really sorry, Bella," I insisted.

"It's not your fault. I'm just clumsy and it was bound to happen one of these days," she excused.

"In other words, once I challenge you to be adventurous, I put you in danger and you end up getting hurt," I added.

"No," she argued. "In other words, we both make mistakes. I shouldn't have landed on my wrist. I should have tried to keep my balance better. But regardless what happened, you stuck by me and took care of me, just like I'll do for you. I'm sure this isn't going to be the first time something happens where I'm going to need someone to stand by me and I'm sure it won't be the last time you're going to need someone either."

"Bella, you're twisting this whole thing around. Getting hurt wasn't your fault. I should have listened to you when you said you couldn't skate. I should have found a different place to take you."

"Like what, a boring museum I've probably already seen?" She countered. "Edward, it's part of why I like being with you. For the first time in my life, I'm experiencing things a normal teenager should be experiencing. I've never felt normal. I've always been different and strange to most people. But when I'm with you, I feel alive. I feel like I can do anything. I'm not scared to try new things or go to new places. I want to do all those things with you, even if there are risks."

I sighed, glancing over at her. "While you're in the cast, we're going to be boring," I insisted.

She laughed, sliding across the seat and leaning her head against my shoulder. I could tell she was tired. The pain medication was obviously making her very drowsy.

"I think your dad probably hates me now," I informed.

"Did you tell him?" She asked.

"Yeah," I answered. "He wasn't happy. He said he was going to hunt me down."

"I'm sure he's had time to cool off by now. Once I tell him what happened, it'll be okay," she assured.

"Still, I don't think I should come around for a few days."

"You have to. I'm going to need some help," she reminded, holding up the arm with the cast.

I chuckled, lightly. "I guess you're right. I'll come over whenever you need me to, if your dad allows me."

She was barely awake, when we pulled up to her house. I picked her up in my arms and carried her up to the front door. Charlie opened it, before I even got there.

"What's wrong with her? I thought you said it was only a broken arm?" He asked, in an angry tone.

"It is," I answered. "She has a cast on her arm. She's on some pretty strong pain killers and they made her drowsy. She's supposed to sleep."

He nodded his head in acceptance and let me by. I clumsily carried her up the stairs to her room and placed her on the bed. I removed her shoes and her coat. I covered her up with a blanket, leaned down to kiss her on her forehead, and whispered goodnight in her ear.

"Edward," she called, still groggy.

I stopped at the door and walked back over to her. "What is it?"

"Tell Esme I'm sorry. I'll make it up to her."

"Bella, don't even worry about it. She understood and she was more worried about you than dinner."

"Will you come in the morning?" She asked.

"I'll be here."

"Goodnight, Edward."

"Goodnight, Bella."

I walked out of the room and back downstairs where Charlie was waiting for me.

"Is she okay?" He asked.

"She has a broken arm. Other than that, she's fine. She has a couple pain pills with her, if she needs them. I'll take the prescription and get it filled for her tomorrow. If it's okay, I'd like to come by in the morning to help her. She's going to need some help adjusting to the cast."

"It won't be necessary. I can take care of her."

"No offense, Charlie, but Bella's the one who takes care of you most of the time. How are you going to take care of her and yourself?"

He glared at me for a moment. I thought I probably said the wrong thing.

"Fine," he agreed. "If you want to come over and help her, you can. I'll be watching and making sure you don't hurt her, though."

I nodded my head. "I wouldn't expect anything less. I'll see you tomorrow."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm not sure if people didn't like the last chapter or what, since there was only 2 reviews, but I hope this chapter is better. I don't know, I guess we'll see. Thanks to all who read my stories and always give me so much support. You have no idea how much I appreciate the love I recieve from all the readers.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters involved.**

**EPOV**

I didn't sleep much at all after I got home. I worried about Bella. She was upstairs all by herself and if she needed something, there was no one there to help her. I hoped if there really was a problem, Charlie would call me to help. However, he didn't seem real happy with Bella needing to go to the hospital. I'm surprised he even agreed to let me come over to help at all.

When morning finally came, I hopped out of bed and showered as quickly as I could. I didn't even bother eating breakfast. Carlisle and Esme weren't up yet, so I left a note explaining I needed to pick up Bella's prescription and check on her.

I rushed out to Bella's truck, which I drove home the night before and headed into town. Nothing was open yet. I sort of forgot, living in a small town, nothing ever opens before nine. I drove around town, looking for something open. I came across a small diner, hidden away in the trees along the highway. I stopped and went inside. I figured, while I waited for the pharmacy to open I could get something to eat for breakfast. I ordered the hash browns and eggs as well as the T-bone steak with eggs, hash browns, and toast for Charlie and the waffle with whip cream and strawberries for Bella. I figured if I brought Charlie a nice big breakfast, it might earn me some points.

I ate my breakfast slowly, wasting time while I waited for the pharmacy to open. Right at nine, I paid the bill, grabbed my to-go bag and headed over to the pharmacy. Thankfully, since I was the only one there, it didn't take long for them to fill it.

I pulled into Bella's driveway, minutes later. Before I even made it to the porch, Charlie already had the door open for me.

"Good morning Charlie."

"Edward," he greeted, nodding his head at me.

"I brought you some breakfast." I walked past him and into the kitchen. I pulled out the Styrofoam container and the large coffee and placed them on the table for him. He wheeled over to the table and peaked inside. I was sure I saw a small smile appear on his lips at what he saw.

"Did you get anything for Bella?"

"Of course I did. I bought her a waffle with strawberries and whip cream. Do you think she'll like it?"

He smiled. "I know she will," he assured.

"I hope it's still warm. I can heat it up for you if you want," I offered.

"I can handle the microwave. Could you just go check on Bella? I haven't seen her since last night and I'm beginning to get a little concerned. It's not like her to sleep in this long."

"The medication she's on does make her sleepy. I'm sure she's fine. But I'll go check on her and bring up her breakfast."

He nodded his head in acceptance. I grabbed the bag with her food still in it and the bottle of pills. I walked up to her room and gently knocked on the door. I didn't hear a sound, so I slowly opened it up and peaked inside. She was still fast asleep. I walked in and placed the bag on the nightstand, before sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"Bella," I whispered, shaking her awake. She groggily opened her eyes and looked up at me. She groaned at the sunlight shining right in her eyes from the window. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't know. I woke up in the middle of the night in excruciating pain. I was almost tempted to call you and ask you to take me back to the hospital."

"You could have, you know? If you need me for anything, just call."

She smiled, sitting up a little in the bed. "Thank you. I took one of those pills and the pain went away. I like those pills."

I laughed. "Don't get addicted to them. They'll ruin your life."

"I won't get addicted to them. They only help take away the pain."

"Exactly," I agreed. "They take away the pain."

There was an awkward silence between us, when the realization of what I was saying hit her.

"I brought you breakfast," I announced, breaking the tension. "I hope you like it." I pulled out the container and opened it up for her. She smiled as soon as she saw what it was. She struggled to sit up in the bed, so I helped her. I placed the dish on her lap with a fork. It never dawned on me how she couldn't exactly cut the waffle herself with a cast on her arm. She tried at first, but eventually I stepped in to help her. I cut into the waffle and fed her each bite.

She only ate about half, before she said she was full. I handed her the juice and one of her pills, so she could take it.

"Thank you for being here," she said.

"You're welcome." I leaned in and kissed her cheek, with a smile.

"Is my dad okay?"

I chuckled. "I think your dad is just fine. He's enjoying the large T-bone steak and eggs I got him for breakfast."

"You bought my dad breakfast too?" She asked, surprised.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know, I guess I just didn't think about it."

"I told you I'll be here to help you out. Anything you need, I'll be here."

"You know what I really want?"

"What's that?"

"A shower," she answered.

"I'm not sure I can help you there," I chuckled.

"Please," she begged. "I can still smell the hospital antiseptic all over me. I hate the smell of hospitals. I need to get it off of me.

"Your dad will kill me," I reminded.

"I'm not asking you to wash me. I just need some help with removing my clothes and Dr. Cullen said I needed to put a plastic bag over the cast. You can help me with my clothes with your eyes closed, can't you?"

"You're asking a lot of me, you know? I mean, asking a guy to help undress you, but not look is like asking me not to breathe."

"Who else do I have to help me?"

I sighed, contemplating what to do. The thought of helping her undress was overwhelmingly tempting. However, if her dad knew, I'm sure he'd kill me. Could I even undress her, without looking? "Okay," I agreed.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood to her feet. After gathering up a change of clothes and a towel from the hall closet, she led me down the hall to the bathroom.

I wrapped a plastic bag around her cast and helped her turn on the water in the shower.

"Here," she said, holding out a bandana towards me.

"You want me to wear a blindfold?" I asked, with a smirk.

"I just want to be sure," she replied, timidly.

"Alright," I agreed, tying it around my eyes.

"I want to try to do as much as I can on my own with the one hand first. If I need help, I'll ask."

I nodded my head. Internally, I was a little thankful, she was going to try it herself first. It may be hard for her to remove her clothes one handed, but it would be even harder for me to do it blindfolded. I was bound to put my hands somewhere they didn't belong.

I listened to her struggle, with removing her shirt. "Do you need help?" I asked, suddenly eager to help.

"I just need help getting my shirt over my head."

"Guide me," I requested, putting my hands out to find her. I felt her hand grab mine and guide it to her head. I felt for the fabric of her shirt and carefully pulled it over her head and off her arm with the cast.

"Can you undo the clasp on my bra?"

I felt for her shoulders and slowly ran my hands down her back, until I came to the bra. I undid the clasp, fully willing to help her remove it the rest of the way. However, she stepped away, as soon as the clasp was undone and removed it herself. I could tell she was being very guarded, just by her movements and her stance.

I could hear her pushing down on her pants, trying so hard to do it herself.

"I can help," I offered.

"I'm just trying to get them pushed down far enough, so you can help me remove them from my feet," she explained.

"Let me know, when you're ready." Being a virgin male and this close to a naked girl, whether I could see her or not, was causing me to have a little bit of a problem in my pants. Even though I was blindfolded, she wasn't. I'm sure she could see what this little experiment we were doing was causing.

"Okay, I'm going to sit on the toilet and I need you to pull off my pants, from my feet."

I put my hands out in front of me, trying to find my way to her in the bathroom. I felt a foot, extended out towards me. I grabbed the pant legs and pulled them off of her. I wanted so badly to run my hands up her bare legs. I just wanted to feel something bare. Knowing she was naked in front of me was killing me.

"I think I can take it from here. I'm probably going to need help with putting clothes on afterwards, though."

"I'll be here," I promised, eagerly. Getting clothes on would probably be harder than removing them.

Once I knew she was in the shower, I pulled off the blindfold and walked across the hall to her room. I had to take some deep breaths, to calm myself. Just as the hard-on in my pants began to subside, she called my name. I ran across the hall and back into the bathroom.

"I can't pour the shampoo in my hand," she complained.

"Let me have the bottle. I'll help you." She stuck her hand out from behind the curtain and handed me the shampoo bottle. I poured a small amount in her hand. "Do you need any help washing your hair?" I would have gladly helped her wash her hair and even her body if she'd let me.

"No, I can do it. Thank you though."

I walked back to her room and sat down on her bed.

"Edward," Charlie called up the stairs. I jumped to my feet and ran to the top of the stairs. "What's going on up there?"

"Bella is in the shower. I'm just sitting in her room, waiting for her to finish up."

"Is she okay? Does she need any help with anything?"

"Nothing I can't help her with," I admitted. I tried to keep the smirk off my face, but I heard Charlie mumble something under his breath.

"Tell her once she's done, I'd like her to come downstairs. I want to see how she's doing."

"I will."

I walked back to her room and continued to wait. After a long time of waiting, she walked back in her room with nothing more than a towel wrapped around her. So much for calming down.

"I was able to brush my teeth and my hair alone. I'm afraid getting dressed might be a different story."

"I'll help," I offered, jumping to my feet eagerly.

She bit her lip nervously. "Can you wear the blindfold?"

"Yeah, of course." I picked it up and put it back around my eyes.

"Like before, I want to try and do as much as I can myself first. Then if I get stuck, I'll ask for help."

"Just let me know what you need."

I heard the towel hit the floor in a heap. My breath hitched, at the fact she was naked and only standing a few feet away from me.

I could hear her struggling once again to get her clothes on. One minute I was listening to her heavy breathing and struggled movements and the next, I felt her naked body crash into me. I wrapped my arms around her protectively, taking advantage of the moment to feel her smooth, warm skin.

"I'm sorry. I slipped trying to pull my pants up," she apologized.

"It's okay," I assured.

I thought she would step away from me and guard her naked body from me like she did in the bathroom, but she didn't. I took a chance and ran my fingers down her sides, until I felt the fabric of her sweatpants. I slowly pulled them up over her ass and tied them loosely around her waist. Her body remained pressed up against mine.

"Where's your shirt?" I whispered, trying really hard not to attack her.

"On the bed," she answered.

"Do you want me to get it?"

"I will," she breathed. In an instant, her mouth was against mine in a fierce kiss. Her arms wrapped around my neck, holding me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her naked upper-half and walked us a few feet and pressed her against the door. My hands were all over her body, feeling and touching every section I could. As much as I wanted to touch her breasts, I didn't. I knew if I did, I would probably cross a line, she wasn't ready for me to cross. Instead, I yanked off the blindfold and assaulted her neck with kisses and nips. Her head moved to the side, giving me better access. The way her breathing sounded, I knew she was enjoying it.

"Bella," Charlie called.

We both sighed, stopping in an instant at the interruption.

"What is it dad?" She called back.

"I'd like you to come down stairs for a while. I haven't seen you since yesterday morning."

"I'll be right down," she answered.

I pulled away and Bella quickly covered herself with her arms. She looked up at me in embarrassment.

I walked across the room and retrieved her shirt from the bed. I slipped it over her head, doing my best not to look at anything I shouldn't look at. Well, at least what Bella probably didn't want me to look at.

"I'm sorry," she said, shyly.

"Sorry for what?" I asked.

"I was kind of inappropriate by attacking you the way I did. I just couldn't help it," she admitted. She downcast her eyes and I could see a hint of color on her cheeks.

I sat down on the bed with her, putting my arm around her shoulders. "Bella, believe me, I'm not complaining. Any time you want to attack me like that, feel free to. I won't stop you."

She laughed, shoving me playfully with her free hand. I gave her one last chaste kiss on the lips, before leading her downstairs to join Charlie in the living room.

I sat down on the couch and pulled her down as close to me as she could get. I knew I was taking a huge risk with Charlie, but he only grumbled for a moment.

"Are you feeling okay? Do you need anything?" He asked her.

"I'm fine, Dad. It's only a broken arm. Edward was able to help me with everything I couldn't do myself." He huffed, but didn't say much more on the subject. He turned on some football game and got lost in watching the game instead of us.

I pulled her broken arm in my lap and gently caressed the exposed skin of her upper arm and her fingertips, which barely stuck out the top of the cast. She leaned against my shoulder, watching my every move along her arm.

After a while, I found a sharpie pen and began to write my name in large bold letters on her cast. It took me well over an hour to write out the letters and fill them in perfectly.

"Why are you writing on my daughters cast?" Charlie asked.

"Isn't that what everyone does, when they have a broken bone? All their friends sign the cast as a souvenir?"

"Yes, but as big as you're writing, I don't think anyone else will have room to sign it," he pointed out.

"Exactly," I agreed. Bella giggled, while Charlie grumbled again.

By the time I finished, I had written "**EDWARD'S GIRL**" with a heart at the end along her cast. I knew it was cheesy, but the smile it put on Bella's face, was worth it.

"I'm thinking you should take some time off from all your activities, while you recover," Charlie suggested. Bella was just about to fall asleep, when he said it too.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Bella. You aren't going to be able to work with a cast. You can't wash dishes at the soup kitchen with a cast. I think you need to cut back on stuff for a while."

"I agree, I'll probably need to take some time off from work, but I can still go to the soup kitchen. I might not be able to help with dishes, but I'm sure there are other things I can do," she argued.

"I'm only trying to help you out. I don't want you overexerting yourself."

"I'll be fine, Daddy. Besides, if there's anything I can't do or need help with, Edward will help me," she reminded, smiling over at me.

Once again I heard Charlie grumble. I don't think he did it because he truly didn't like me. I think it was more because his little girl was growing up. In a way I felt bad for him. Bella was all he had.

We watched the rest of the game in silence. I don't think Bella or I were paying much attention to the game. I rested my arm around her shoulders, playing with her hair as she drew circles on my arm. Her touch sent chills up and down my spine. Every chance I could get, without Charlie noticing, I would place a chaste kiss against her temple.

I left the house only once, to pick up something for dinner. Once again, I fed Bella her food. It was quite erotic feeding her food. The only downside, was Charlie being in the room and huffing or clearing his throat every time he thought it was getting a little too heavy between us.

When Bella fell asleep on my arm, I picked her up in my arms and carried her upstairs. I placed her on the bed and covered her with the blanket.

I walked back downstairs and began to clean up from dinner.

"Edward, I'd like to talk to you for a moment," Charlie said, wheeling his chair next to the table. He motioned for me to sit down at the table with him, so I did.

"What is it, Charlie."

"I know you like my daughter. I'm not going to play dumb and pretend like nothing physical is going on between you two. But I want to know you're being safe. I know Bella is probably having all these teenage girl hormones running through her body and not thinking clearly, but as her father, I feel like it's my responsibility to make sure she's safe."

"Are you trying to ask if we're having safe sex?" I asked, in horror. I seriously couldn't move.

He sighed, looking down at the table in embarrassment. "Not in so many words, but yes."

"Then let me assure you, Mr. Swan," I chose to address him formally in this matter. "Bella is still very much a virgin. To be completely honest, so am I."

"You are?" He asked, shocked by my reveal.

"Yeah," I laughed, avoiding eye contact with him.

"I just assumed… Well the crowd you hung out with…" he paused for a moment. "None of my business." He shook his head to get the thoughts out of his head, which I was thankful for. "What about drugs? Did you ever use dirty needles?"

"I may have done my share of drugs, which I'm not proud of, but I've never shot up," I assured. He nodded his head, listening to me. "Look Charlie, as much as you may think I'm taking advantage of Bella and making her do stuff she's never done before, she has very strict boundaries and I have no intention in crossing any of them. I would never intentionally hurt her or put her in danger."

"So how far have you two gone?" He asked, never making eye contact with me. I could tell he was just as uncomfortable with this conversation as I was.

"I've only kissed her. It's never gone any farther."

"You're sure?"

I scoffed at his question, trying my best to avoid it. I didn't want to lie to him, but I didn't want to tell him what happened earlier either. I mean nothing really happened except her bare chest was pressed up against me. I really didn't even get a good look at her. "I'm sure."

"Alright," he accepted.

I quickly cleaned up the rest of the kitchen and left for the night. I didn't want any more uncomfortable conversations with Charlie.

The following weeks, Bella was able to adjust to her cast more and more. She rarely needed help from anyone for anything. I still tried to help her as much as I could, though.

She was forced to take some time off from her job, which she wasn't happy about. I insisted she not wash dishes at the soup kitchen either. Instead, she spent time with Alice and Rose, discussing Alice's upcoming wedding. It was more work for me to do all the dishes on my own, but there was no way I was going to let her help with a cast on her arm.

Working for Emmett wasn't too bad actually. All I did is hang out at his office and if he had an errand for me to run, I'd do it. Most the time it was delivering a file to someone else, or getting him coffee or something to eat. A couple times he let me drive his car into town to get food. It was pretty fun driving around town in a BMW convertible. The only downfall of working for Emmett was Bella and I very rarely saw each other. The only time we had time to see each other was at school and the soup kitchen. There really wasn't any privacy for us though.

At school, I ignored everyone I used to be friends with. I had finally realized how they weren't the greatest friends to have. Amazingly enough, Bella's friends were beginning to acknowledge me and actually talk to me like I wasn't the plague or something.

At the end of January, Bella and I met with the contractor to discuss the rebuild of their house. I wanted Charlie to be involved too, but he insisted on letting Bella handle it. Esme wanted to come along as well. She said it was safer to have an adult with us to help make decisions. She'd seen too many times, where people were taken advantage of by contractors. It sort of confused me, since she was the one who suggested this guy we were working with. Either way, I was glad she was coming with us. I didn't know anything about re-designing a house so it can be wheelchair accessible.

The only thing Bella wanted was a better ramp for her dad to be able to go outside.

"What about a bedroom for your dad?" I argued.

"I don't know if he'd be able to use it," she explained. "He's so used to sleeping on the couch or in his chair. Besides, how would he get in and out of the bed without assistance? The only thing we really need is a ramp, so he can go outside more."

"Would you be willing to let me make some suggestions?" Esme interjected.

Bella and I both turned towards her and nodded our heads.

"I've done some research on your dad's condition and looked into some design ideas from houses built for people in wheelchairs." She pulled out some papers and began laying them out in front of us. "I had some ideas. You said your dad can't get in and out of bed. Well the great thing is they have all these new gadgets and lifts to help people out. What I'm thinking is taking out all the flooring in the house and putting in hardwood floors. The kitchen, we can adjust to have pullout countertops at your dad's level. We can put in all kinds of new appliances at your dad's level. In the bedroom, we can put in lifts and a specially designed bed. There are tons of things we can do to modify the house for him."

"Wow!" I gasped, looking over the plans laid out in front of us. "When did you start working on this?"

"At Christmas," she replied. "I knew you weren't going to know the first thing when it comes to designing a house. Charlie and Bella's house is a special project I wanted to help out on."

I glanced over at Bella. She had tears in her eyes, as she looked over the plans. I took her free hand to make sure she was okay. She looked up at me and smiled, before turning to Esme.

"I don't know what to say. Thank you so much for doing this for us."

Esme wrapped her arm around Bella's shoulders. "I was happy to do it. You deserve to have this."

"Could I borrow these?" the contractor asked.

"This is your copy," Esme assured. "I have more."

"Thanks. This is good stuff. I was worried about doing this project, considering the circumstances. But with this to help, I think I can handle it. I'll start getting a team together right away. As soon as the snow and rain let up, we can get started."

"Thank you for your time. We look forward to working with you," Esme said, shaking his hand. Bella and I shook his hand as well and headed out of his office.

Esme drove towards Bella's house to drop her off.

"Thanks for coming with us, Aunt Esme. You definitely knew what you were doing in there. It helped out a lot," I said.

"Anytime Edward," she accepted. "This is what I do for a living."

"I know, but I never thought you would draw up plans like you did. It all looked perfect."

"It's not exactly up to you. It's Bella and Charlie who have to live there. It needs to be right for them."

We both looked at Bella, waiting for her to respond, but she didn't. She seemed to be in her own little world.

"Bella, are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'm fine," she assured. I knew she was lying.

When we reached her house, I walked her up to her door. I grabbed her hand, to make her wait.

"What's wrong, Bella?"

"Nothing," she said.

"Bella, you can talk to me. What's going on?"

"Are you still planning to go to Alice and Jasper's wedding with me?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I told you I would. I'm looking forward to it. I like Jasper and Alice. They seem like good people."

"Good. I should go in and get dinner started for my dad. I'll see you tomorrow." She gave me a quick kiss on the lips, before dashing through her front door. I could tell something was bothering her, but she wouldn't tell me what it was.

I walked back out to the car and we drove towards home.

"Is Bella okay?" Esme asked.

"I don't know. It seems like something is bothering her, but she won't tell me what it is."

"Maybe it's just the broken arm bothering her," she theorized. I agreed with her, just to let it go, but I knew it was more than just a broken arm.

The following week, Bella seemed really distant. She still wouldn't tell me what was wrong and anytime I asked, she would change the subject. Eventually I let it go. I figured if she wanted to talk to me, she would. I wasn't going to push the subject anymore.

On Valentine's Day, it was Alice and Jasper's wedding. They had an early afternoon wedding. I went to pick up Bella at her house in Esme's car. Considering it was Valentine's Day, I brought her a bouquet of flowers. I really didn't know what kind of flowers she liked, so I just picked out a bouquet of mixed flowers. I wanted it to be special, but I had no idea what I was doing.

I walked up to her door, holding the flowers in front of me. She opened the door and the minute her eyes saw the flowers her face lit up with happiness.

"Happy Valentine's Day," I expressed. Why did I feel like such an idiot saying that?

"They're beautiful. Thank you." She took the flowers from my hands and went into the kitchen to put them in a vase. I followed her in.

"I hope they're okay. I didn't know what you liked or what was appropriate."

"They're perfect, Edward. No one has ever given me flowers before."

"No one?" I asked, shocked by the news.

"Who would have given me flowers?"

"Eric," I suggested.

"Eric has never given me flowers. And please don't mention him. I don't want to think about him today."

"Sorry, I won't mention him again."

I took her hand and lead her out to the car.

"You look really pretty, by the way," I said, starting up the car.

She smiled, looking over her dress. "Thank you. The cast sort of stands out, though."

"The cast completes the look," I assured, tracing my finger across the words I had written on it. She laughed, watching me.

We pulled into the church parking lot and were greeted by Jasper and his parents. They told us to take a seat anywhere we wanted. There weren't a whole lot of people here. Some of them I recognized, but not everyone. We found seats close to the front and waited for the ceremony to begin.

As the ceremony began, Jasper took his place at the end of the aisle, waiting for his bride. Alice arrived at the front of the aisle and everyone stood for her entrance.

Bella couldn't keep her eyes off of Alice. She looked so proud and happy to be a part of this day.

I watched her, as the vows were read by the pastor. She had on a dark green, short dress, with a gold design on it. Even her fingernails were freshly painted with a green nail polish. I smiled, remembering the time I brought up her green fingernails in my room. She really was much different than any other girl I've ever met.

She looked like she was on the verge of tears. I took her free hand in mine, squeezing it to comfort her. She glanced in my direction only for a moment and gave me a reassuring smile. Her head rested against my shoulder as we watched the rest of the ceremony.

Alice and Jasper recited their vows to each other, while the small crowd of people watched in admiration. They were young. Alice probably wasn't much older than Bella and I are. But you could see the love they had in the way they looked at each other. They were right for each other, even if they were young.

Watching Bella's friends get married seemed to make her so happy. I was glad I was here with her. I didn't get as much time to spend with her anymore, but what I could, I enjoyed tremendously.

After the ceremony was over, we walked through the receiving line and congratulated Jasper and Alice, and wished them well.

We walked around and talked to a few people we knew, finally settling on taking a seat next Rose and Emmett.

"What did you think of the wedding?" Rose asked.

"It was perfect. You and Alice did an excellent job putting this together," Bella expressed.

"Alice didn't want anything flashy. She wanted it to be as simple as possible."

"It fit her," Bella agreed. "She looked so beautiful and excited. I'm so happy for both of them."

"Did you hear they may be moving to Port Angeles?" Rose asked, with a hint of sadness.

"They are?" Bella gasped. "When did this happen?"

"Jasper got a job working at the fish hatchery. Alice is hoping to find a job too, since it's a bigger community."

"I'm happy for them, but I'm going to miss them," Bella said sadly.

"Me too," Rose agreed.

"So, Edward," Emmett cut in. "What do you think of working for me so far?"

"It's been good. I like staying busy. It's not hard either."

"How has counseling been going?" Rose asked. I stared at her blankly for a moment. I wasn't aware she knew I was in counseling. It's not like I cared, I just wasn't aware she knew.

"It's been good." I left it at that. I didn't want to have a conversation about my personal life. I glanced over in Bella's direction. Her face was red and she stared down at her hands nervously.

I took her hand in mine, making sure she knew not to worry about telling Rose.

"Hi guys," Jasper greeted, as he and Alice came over to sit down next to us.

"Hi," we all said in unison.

"So, Alice and I were talking and we were thinking we should all do something together in the next couple weeks. Since we aren't going on a honeymoon, we thought it would be fun for all of us to do something," Jasper suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea. What did you have in mind?" Emmett asked.

"We were thinking paintball. We could break off in teams, girls against boys," Jasper replied.

"Sounds fun to me," I agreed.

"Let's do it," Emmett added. Rose nodded her head in agreement as well.

I looked over to Bella, waiting for her to reply. She looked down at her arm, with a sad face. "I don't know if I can."

"You should be okay," I offered. "We can just wrap it up in a bag like you do for a shower."

"Yeah, maybe," she accepted. "I'll have to ask Dr. Carlisle to be sure."

"I can ask him for you," I offered. She smiled in acceptance and nodded her head.

"If you can't Bella, we can always do something else," Alice assured. "Just let us know."

"I will thanks."

"We also wanted to thank you both for coming," Alice added. "It means a lot to both Jasper and I, you came."

"Of course, Alice," Bella said. You're one of my best friends. I'll always be here for you."

Bella gave Alice a hug, and then hugged Jasper.

As we drove home, she was quiet. She still hadn't told me what was bothering her. It really irritated me she wouldn't talk to me about whatever it was. I wanted to help her if it was something I could help with.

"Alice looked beautiful today, didn't she?" she prompted, suddenly.

"Yeah, she did. But I was sort of looking at a different girl who was much prettier in my opinion."

She giggled. "And who might that be?"

"I think you might know her. She has long hair and big brown eyes. She was wearing a green dress with matching green nail polish. She also had a cast on her arm with some guys name on it. I think she may be taken," I teased.

Her casted arm suddenly swung out and hit my arm playfully. Although, since it was a hard cast hitting me, it actually hurt.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, rubbing my arm.

"Did I hurt you?" she asked.

"Just a little," I laughed, trying to play it off as nothing. She began rubbing my arm to sooth the sting.

"You really need to be careful with your hands. You tend to hurt a lot of people," I mocked, further.

"Will you stop?" she laughed, playfully shoving me instead of hitting me.

I pulled up in front of her house and turned off the engine. "Can I ask you a question?" I wondered, seriously. She turned toward me, waiting for me to ask. "Do you really not want to go paint balling? If you don't want to go, we don't have to. We can find something else to do."

She shook her head. "It's not that I don't want to go. I do. I just don't want to hurt my arm any more than I already have. You know I'm not the most coordinated person and I worry about falling again. What if I mess up my arm even more or break my other arm?"

"I'm sure it'll be okay. It's really not a hard thing to play paintball. But just to ease your mind, I'll talk to my uncle about it."

She smiled, nodding her head in acceptance. "I should get inside. I'll see you later." She leaned over giving me a kiss and darted out the door. She didn't even give me a chance to open the door for her. I waited until she was safely in her house, before I drove away.

Something was wrong and I was going to find out what it was.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry this took so long. I'm going to try to update this story more often in the coming months. Thank you to all who read this story and all my other ones. I'm so grateful for all the reviews everyone sends me. **

**Thank you AstonMartin823 for taking on beta duties for this story. I appreciate you stepping in to help me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters involved. No copy write infringement intended.**

**BPOV**

I hadn't said anything to my dad yet, but I got a letter from my mom at the end of January. It was so unexpected. I didn't know what to think about it. I haven't heard from her since I was about six years old. In the letter it basically said she was thinking about me and wanted to know how I was. She never asked about dad or explained where she'd been the last twelve years of my life. At first, I rolled my eyes, crunched the paper up in my hand and threw it in the garbage. I had no interest in talking to her. However, I couldn't get the letter out of my head. I wanted answers. I wanted to know why she abandoned me. I wanted to know why she thought it was better to leave me with nothing than to stay in some sort of contact with me.

I became very confused about what I wanted to do. Should I write back? Should I ignore the letter? Should I talk to my dad about it? I know the dilemma was affecting my behavior and my mood. Edward could tell, but I was pretty good about hiding it from everyone else.

I finally decided I needed to talk to someone for some advice. Edward kept pestering me to talk to him about what was bothering me, so he seemed like the logical choice. I was just afraid of what he might say.

We went to a movie in Port Angeles the weekend after Alice and Jasper's wedding. On the way home we were both very quiet. I wanted to talk to him, but I was afraid. Instead of driving me home, he pulled into the disserted elementary school parking lot and got out of the car. He walked to the front and sat on the hood. I got out and followed him.

"Bella, whatever it is you're hiding from me I can take it. If there's something wrong then let me help you," he urged. "I can't take this silent treatment anymore."

I looked down at the ground, ashamed with myself. I was about to blurt out everything to him but he continued talking before I could say a word.

"Is it about me? Do you not want to be with me anymore and you're afraid to tell me? Do you think I'm going to turn back to drugs and alcohol if we break up? Because if that's what's bothering you I wish you would tell me. I can handle it. I'll be upset but I don't want you to feel responsible for me. It's the one thing my counselor and my uncle keep telling me not to let happen. It's my problem and I'm the only one who needs to deal with it. You don't need to feel responsible for my problems."

"Edward, stop," I demanded. "It doesn't have anything to do with you."

"Then what's going on?"

I sighed, biting my lip from nervousness. "I got a letter from my mom a few weeks ago. I haven't heard from her for over ten years and suddenly she wants to know how I'm doing. I don't know what I'm supposed to say to her or if I even want to say anything to her. I'm just so confused about what to do. She's my mom so I should write back, but I'm mad at her for leaving me and I know anything I say will come off as resentful. I want to tell her how mad I am and how much I hate her for leaving me. But every time I think about what I want to say to her I feel guilty about it because she's my mom. I don't know what to do."

I heard him sigh in relief before speaking. "Have you talked to your dad about it?"

"No," I replied. "I think he's even more resentful than I am. If he knew she contacted me after all these years he'd probably be furious. I don't want him mad at me if I write back."

"Bella, I can't imagine your dad being mad at you for anything. I'm sure he has a lot of resentment towards her for leaving the way she did but he would never be mad at you."

"So you think I should write back?"

"Would it make you feel better if you had answers?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. I don't think any excuse she has would make me feel better. I think it would just make me more upset."

"So if you were to contact her, what would it be for? It's not going to make you feel better if she gives you excuses for her actions. It's not going to make you feel better to hurt her in return. Why do it?" he questioned.

I looked up at him and laughed lightly. "You're right. Contacting her isn't going to change anything. I need to just let it go."

"I think it would be best. You're letting her hurt you again and it's not fair to you. She chose to leave and she has no right to come back into your life now."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. "Thank you," I breathed into his neck.

"You can tell me anything, Bella. Don't ever be afraid to talk to me." I nodded my head against his shoulder.

"Come on," he demanded. He hopped off the hood of the car and reached for my hand.

"What are we doing?" I asked with a slight giggle.

"We're going to have some fun."

He pulled me across the parking lot and over to the playground of the school. I giggled at what we were doing in the middle of the night. We hopped on the merry-go-round and began to spin it around. I ran over to the swings and he chased after me. He pushed me a few times to get me going before swinging in the swing next to me.

We were both laughing and having a really good time. It's the first time I'd truly laughed in weeks.

"I used to think I could actually fly when I was swinging," I admitted.

"Why can't you?" he asked.

I turned towards him and laughed. "What do you mean?"

"Watch," he requested. I watched as he swung even higher in the air. In mid air he jumped from his swing and flew across the playground, landing on his feet in the chips.

I stared, astonished by what he just did.

"Now you do it."

"I can't, Edward. What about my arm?" I asked.

"I'm right here. I won't let you get hurt."

I took a deep breath contemplating if I really wanted to try what he just did. I've seen people do it before but I was always afraid to try.

"Come on," he urged further. "I'll catch you."

I swung just a little higher, took another deep breath and closed my eyes before I jumped. I squealed as I flew through the sky and landed. I lost my footing and fell forward. Edward was right there to catch me though. He fell backwards with me tumbling with him. His arms encased around me to protect me from the fall.

In a loud humph we hit the ground. I looked down at him to be sure he was okay and he was laughing. I couldn't help but laugh too.

"You flew, Bella."

I rolled my eyes. "I fell."

"No," he softly said, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "You flew into my arms."

He leaned up and kissed me gently on the lips. His fingers intertwined in my hair as the kiss deepened. I moaned into his mouth as our lips moved against each other. He sighed and wrapped his other arm around my waist to hold me close. His hand ventured down and rubbed across my butt before he inched his way up my back and pushed the hem of my shirt up. His hand moved up my side to brush against my breast. I had to break the kiss when I felt like it was getting to be a little too much. I was still terrified to go any further than kissing with him.

He groaned when I sat up and straddled his legs. I bit my lip, hoping he wasn't mad at me.

"I'm sorry," I whispered nervously.

He sat up and looked at me with a confused look on his face. "What are you sorry about?"

I ducked my head and licked my lips. "I just… I'm not ready."

"I wasn't planning to pressure you into anything," he assured. "I should be the one who's sorry. I kind of lose control when we're kissing." He leaned in really close, forcing me to make eye contact with him. "I'll be good, okay?" I laughed at his puppy-dog expression and nodded my head.

We stood to our feet and walked back over to the merry-go-round. We lay down on the cold metal and got it spinning very slowly. He took my hand in his and held it against his chest while we stared up at the stars.

"I see a dragon," he suddenly blurted.

"What?"

"Right there," he pointed out. His fingers traced the shape of the stars in midair. "It's the shape of a dragon."

I giggled and leaned into his side. His arms wrapped around me and held me close.

"Edward," I began. He hummed in response. "If we weren't together, where do you think you would be right now?"

"Honestly, I think I'd probably be dead," he answered. "I know I'm not supposed to make you feel responsible for my problems but if it wasn't for you showing me a different side of myself, I would have ended up killing myself. You saved me."

I smiled and curled further into his side. "I didn't save you. You saved yourself. I'm just here for support."

"You have no idea how much your support means to me either. I'd be lost without you."

"It's funny how one little thing can change so much."

He held me close in his arms to protect me from the cold as we lay there, silently staring up at the stars.

I wasn't aware we both fell asleep until we were abruptly woken a few hours later by bright lights shining on us and a loud siren. We sat up shielding the light from our eyes to see what was going on.

"You two are in a heap of trouble," Paul, a police officer of our town informed.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Almost two in the morning," he answered.

"Oh no," I gasped.

"Yeah," he agreed. "Your dad is on the warpath. He has everyone out searching for you. I'd get home as quickly as you possibly can, if I were you."

We jumped off the merry-go-round and ran past Paul towards the car.

"I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't know it was so late. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Edward, just get me home so I can try to explain this to my dad."

He drove across town as quickly as he could and pulled up in front of my house. I hopped out and ran across the front yard for my front door. My dad was sitting in the doorway waiting. He didn't look happy at all.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I can explain."

"I don't want any excuses," he scolded. "You know the rules and you broke them."

"Dad," I began. "It was just a mistake. We fell asleep."

"Fell asleep where?" he asked. I could hear the anger rising in his voice.

"Sir, it's my fault," Edward cut in. I watched my dad glare at him. "After the movie I took Bella to the playground at the elementary school and we fell asleep on the merry-go-round. It was my fault. I shouldn't have fallen asleep."

"How do you fall asleep on a playground in this cold weather?" he asked skeptical of Edward's answer.

"Dad, it's what happened," I agreed. "It's not something we can explain, it's just what happened."

"It looked pretty innocent, Sir," Paul added from behind us. "They were just fast asleep on the merry-go-round. It appeared like they'd been there for a while."

My dad sighed heavily, letting his nostrils flare. "Bella, get to bed. Edward, you need to go home. Your aunt and uncle are worried about you."

"Yes, Sir."

"And just so you know it's going to be a while before you can take Bella out again."

"Dad," I whined.

"Don't argue, Bella. You both broke the rules and there's consequences you'll both have to live by."

"I understand, Sir. I really am sorry. It was only a mistake and I won't let it happen again."

I watched as Edward walked back out to his car and drove away. Paul and my dad talked for a few minutes longer before he left too.

I stood there with my hands on my hips, waiting for my dad to explain to me why he was doing this.

"It's late, Bella. Go to bed," he demanded.

"Are you seriously forbidding me from seeing Edward?" I asked.

"I just said it's going to be a while before I let him take you out. You'll still see each other at school and at the soup kitchen. I just think you need to spend some more time at home for a change."

"Why? Everything is taken care of isn't it? The house is clean, your meals are made, the laundry is done, and everything I normally do is all done. I've always taken care of everything and I never get in trouble, I get straight A's in school, I always do everything I'm told to do. So why am I being punished over one little mistake?" I asked.

"This isn't a little mistake, Bella," he shouted. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? I had no idea where you were. You weren't answering your cell phone. Edward wasn't answering his. I didn't know if you were in an accident or if he'd done something to you. I had the entire police force out searching. Thankfully I still have a little pull down there to get them to drop everything to search for you. You don't understand the amount of people you affect by the actions you make."

"I know, Dad. I'm sorry, but you're blowing this way out of proportion. Edward would never hurt me and you know that. He's just the only person I have to talk to and if you take him away then I have no one."

"What about me?" he asked. "You used to talk to me about everything. Now you barely say two words to me before you're running out the door to go see him."

"Is that what this is about? Are you jealous of Edward?" I accused.

"Don't be ridiculous. Why would I be jealous of him?" He had a hint of detest in his voice. I could tell he was lying.

"Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore. Right now Edward is a part of my life and you have to stop pushing him away because if you do I'll end up leaving."

"Are you trying to say you're going to run away if I forbid you from seeing him?"

"I'm not saying I'm going to run away. I'm just saying if you want me to talk to you like I used to, I need you to trust me to make my own decisions and stop acting like Edward is the enemy."

"What were you two doing at the elementary school?" he wondered, ignoring everything I just said. "Be honest with me."

"Do you really want to know?" I asked.

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw before nodding his head to answer.

I ran upstairs and grabbed the letter from my mom to bring it down to him. "The last few weeks I've been distant and Edward could tell something was bothering me. I don't know why he chose the elementary school but he brought me there so we could talk. The truth is, I got a letter from mom and it's been bothering me. I can't talk to you about it because I don't want you to be mad. Edward was the only person I could talk to. All we were doing was talking and then we were just playing on the swings and the merry-go-round."

He took the letter from my hands and read it over. He groaned as he finished. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I knew you would be mad and I didn't want to upset you if I chose to write back. I wasn't sure if I was going to or not."

"I'm not going to be mad at you for talking to your mom. I may still have some anger towards her but I have never tried to put that on you. If you want to talk to your mom I'm not going to stand in your way."

"It doesn't matter now. I'm not planning to write to her. I have nothing to say to her and whatever excuse she gives me isn't going to change anything."

"Are you sure?" he questioned. "Did Edward tell you not to write to her or did you choose this on your own?"

"Edward didn't tell me what to do. He just listened to me and helped clear my head about what _I_ needed to do," I explained. "I don't want to talk to her."

"Okay," he accepted, folding the letter back up and handing it to me.

"So are you still going to keep me away from Edward?" I asked.

"Two weeks," he answered. "If he wants to come over here that's fine or I can even deal with you going over to his house if Esme or Carlisle are there but I don't want you going out with him anywhere. And if you're late at all for any reason the restriction will be longer."

I rolled my eyes and sighed before I headed to bed. It didn't seem fair but I let it go. I figured it was better than nothing.

Those two weeks were torture. We did see each other at school and at the soup kitchen but the weekends were hard. He came over to my house the next Saturday, although, we weren't allowed to do anything but homework or watch TV with my dad. On Sunday I went over to Edward's house but his aunt and uncle were just as restrictive as my dad was. Esme made a really nice dinner, which intimidated me a little but both Esme and Carlisle were so nice it took a lot of my nervousness away. Afterwards I forced Edward to watch the movie I bought him for Christmas. He wasn't too impressed but he watched it anyway and added it to his collection.

Finally, after our restriction was over, I thought it would go back to what it was before. Unfortunately, it wasn't like that. My dad was still being overprotective and didn't want us to go anywhere.

On the weekend we were supposed to get together with Alice, Jasper, Rose, and Emmett for the paintball game, he didn't want me to go but I insisted and left anyway. I was getting really irritated with him trying to control everything I did. He'd never been like this before.

I was irritable all the way into Port Angeles where we were supposed to meet them. Edward kept his mouth shut the entire drive, which was probably a good thing. I think he knew how much I'd been struggling with my dad lately and didn't want to make it worse by trying to talk to me about it.

Once we met up with everyone else, I let my frustration with my dad go and just had fun. Edward had talked to Carlisle about my arm, and assured us I would be fine as long as I wore the necessary protective gear.

When all of us were dressed in the gear and instructed of the rules and guidelines we were set free on the course. We were playing girls against boys, which didn't seem fair in our eyes but we had a plan. It was basically a game of capture the flag and given the strength behind them, they were sure we were going to lose.

"There's no way you girls are going to beat us," Emmett taunted.

"Would you like to make a bet on that?" Rose offered.

"What are your terms?" he questioned playfully.

"If I win, you have to do as I say for the rest of the day, and I mean everything. If you win, I'll do the same for you." There exchange was very flirty and playful.

"You're on," he accepted.

Jasper and Alice made a similar bet about what apartment to live in. Apparently they had two picked out and Jasper liked one, Alice liked the other. Whoever won got to choose.

Edward and I didn't make any bets, but we were both very competitive and wanted to help the others out.

"You remember what to do?" Alice asked.

"Yep," I replied with a scheming smile on my face.

"Let's go," Rose instructed. The three of us broke from our little huddle and went in separate directions.

I ran across the field and hid behind a tree. I peaked around it to look for my target. The three boys were standing around the flag waiting for us to make a move. There was no way we were going to get that flag without getting hit.

I took a deep breath and ran out from behind the tree and started shooting. The three of them shot in return and hit me a few times. I fell to the ground with a scream and dropped my gun. I grabbed my arm and rolled around in agony. Just like we expected, all three of them came running over to check on me. Edward threw his helmet to the ground and kneeled down next to me.

"Bella," he gasped. "What happened? Did you hurt your arm again?"

He unlatched the helmet on my head and pulled it off of me. I had a huge smile on my face, which shocked him.

"Bella?" he questioned.

I grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to me, kissing him hard and long. When I pulled away, I looked up at his confused face and said, "We win."

All three of them turned ghost white as their heads shot up and saw Alice and Rose running back across the field with their flag in hand. The three of them went chasing after the girls, trying everything to stop them, but it was too late.

I crawled off the ground and met them on the other side of the field.

"That isn't fair, you tricked us," Emmett complained.

"I can't believe you made Bella fake an injury to get passed us," Edward complained.

I placed my hand on his shoulder and leaned up to give him a sweet kiss on the cheek. "They didn't make me do anything," I informed. "It was my idea. I knew you'd come running over. I wasn't sure if the other guys would, but I had a feeling they would and all of you would be distracted."

"I think the three of you cheated," Jasper accused.

"You're just upset because we don't get to live in that God awful apartment you like," Alice complained.

"So, Emmett," Rose began. The look on her face told me this was going to be an interesting night for them. He grumbled at the realization he had to do as she said. "I'm kind of tired. I'd like you to carry me out of this field."

I one swift move, Emmett had Rose cradled in his arms and began to carry her out. The rest of us laughed and followed behind.

"You really are okay, right?" Edward asked as we walked out of the field.

I laughed. "I'm fine. I really wasn't hurt at all. It was just a joke so we could get past all of you."

"You seemed upset during the drive over too. Is everything okay with your dad?"

"He's just being overprotective. He wasn't happy about me leaving with you today."

"I really upset him with keeping you out too late a few weeks ago, didn't I?" he theorized.

"I don't think it's that. I think he doesn't think I want to spend time with him anymore. I'm always gone with you or at the soup kitchen or something."

"Maybe it would be good if you spent some time with him where it's just the two of you," he suggested.

"Maybe," I agreed.

We all changed out of the protective gear and headed out to lunch. Afterwards, Alice and Jasper brought us by the apartment they were going to be living in and showed us around. It was a small apartment, but for right now it would do for them.

Even though I wanted to spend more time with Edward, he insisted we call it an early day and had me home well before dinnertime.

My dad was shocked to see me home already but I explained to him about how Edward wanted me to spend some time with him. I was hoping it might make my dad like Edward just a little bit more. It always seemed like just as my dad was warming up to Edward, something would happen and then he'd be hostile towards him again. I wanted my dad and Edward to get along.

I made dinner for my dad and we did spend some time together. For the first time in a long time we played a board game and talked quite a bit. It was nice to see my dad laughing again and not grumbling or rolling his eyes at me. Maybe Edward was right and I just need to spend some time with my dad to show him I'm not leaving him.

Later in the week, I had to get my cast removed. I asked Edward to come with me to the doctor's office and he said he would. I didn't like going to the doctor, and I wanted someone with me for support.

Surprisingly, it went quicker than I thought it would. I insisted on keeping the cast as a souvenir even though Edward thought I was crazy for doing so. But I had to keep it after he wrote his name across it the way he did. It was special.

After my cast was off, my arm felt so strange. I still felt like I had the cast on and I couldn't move my arm.

Edward drove me home afterwards and I spent the rest of the night with my dad. I noticed Edward was really starting to take a step back from our relationship and it kind of bothered me. I knew he was only doing it because of my dad, but I didn't want him to. However, I understood why he wanted me to spend time with my dad and I tried to respect that. Edward had lost his dad, and he would never get him back. I still had mine, and Edward didn't want my relationship with my dad to be strained because of him. I just needed my dad to see that side of Edward.

"Edward, can you do me a favor?" I asked, while we were washing dishes at the soup kitchen one night.

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Well, you know my concert is tomorrow night. I really want my dad to come. I was kind of hoping you could help me."

"If he's willing to let me, I can help. You know I will," he agreed.

"Great," I excitedly said and leaned over to give him a quick kiss.

The next night, Edward came over to our house early to help my dad. I could tell it was awkward for both of them but they dealt with it. I had to be there a half hour earlier than everyone else so as soon as we pulled into the parking lot, I went to the music room leaving Edward with my dad. I was planning to stay to help but they insisted I go.

I warmed up my voice with everyone else and spent a few minutes running through my solo one last time. I felt like my entire body was shaking. I was so nervous and afraid I was going to mess up. This was my first solo and I wanted it to be good.

At show time the choir walked out onto the stage and began. We sang a total of five songs and the last one was my big solo. I stepped towards the microphone, took a deep breath and swallowed against the dry mouth. I was thankful for the bright lights. At least I didn't have to see anyone who might make me even more nervous.

The music began and I started singing my part. My voice cracked just a little on the first note but other than that I think I did pretty well. After I was done I could hear the audience cheering and whistling very loudly, which made me blush. I smiled and took my bow with the rest of the choir, before heading to the back of the stage.

After we were dismissed from our teacher, I ran out to the audience to see my dad and Edward. I was shocked to see Esme and Carlisle there too. Edward never told me they were coming.

Esme was the first to reach me. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders as she congratulated me on a job well done. I thanked her and she passed me on to Carlisle, who did the exact same thing. I went to my dad next. I looked down at his face and could tell he'd been crying. He tried to hide it, but I could still see the tears in his eyes.

"You were wonderful up there," he whispered. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks Daddy." I leaned down and gave him a big hug.

I stepped over to Edward who had a huge smile on his face. "You were amazing," he said. "You gave me chills with how good you were. I think you're the best singer I've ever heard."

I rolled my eyes and laughed it off. He pulled me into his arms and chuckled with me before giving me a tender kiss on the forehead. "You _were_ amazing," he insisted. "I loved watching you sing. I hope I get to see you sing more."

"Maybe."

"Have you told her yet?" Esme asked, interjecting into our little moment. Edward turned us around to face the three of them. I had no idea what they were talking about, but my dad as well as Carlisle and Esme were staring at me like they were waiting for me to say something. I looked to Edward with a questioning look. I hoped he knew what they were talking about.

He looked over at me with a grin on his face. "My aunt and uncle are taking me skiing for spring break. They want to invite you to come with us." My eyes shot to Carlisle and Esme. I was not expecting this at all.

"It's only for a couple days," Esme added. "We've already talked to Charlie about it and he gave his permission if you would like to come."

I glanced over to my dad. His face was unreadable. In a way it looked like he was happy and excited for me, but in another way he looked upset. I didn't know what to do.

"Dad, are you sure?" I asked.

"If you want to go I'm okay with it. I think I can get along without you for a few days. There will be some rules though. But as long as Carlisle and Esme are there I'm okay with you going."

I glanced back at Edward with a smile. "So?" he wondered.

"Yeah," I accepted. "I'd love to come. I've never been skiing before."

Edward chuckled and pulled me close into his side. "Neither have I. This will be new for both of us."

**Announcements:**

**First off, I need to say thank you again to everyone who reads my stories and gives me so much support with each and every story I write. I've been getting a lot of reviews/PM's from people saying they read every one of my stories and I just want to tell all of you how wonderful it is to have such great readers. You all amaze me with your constant support.**

**1. I was featured on Twi-muses for the story "The Best Day" link is on my profile if you want to check out the interview. I feel like a dork reading over what I wrote but oh well.**

**2. For my story "The Wish" I won 2nd place in the judges voting for the Pick A Pic Challenge contest. I was shocked when I found out. I really didn't think I had a chance with 78 stories to choose from. I didn't do too bad in the public voting round either so thank you to all who read my stories and voted for "The Wish" or "He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not".**

**3. Today (January 26th) is the last day to vote for your favorite story in the "Twisted Twilight Tales" contest. I wrote a story for this contest and it's anonymous so I can't say which story is mine but if you have time read them over and vote for your fave. To anyone who has read the entries and voted already, thank you :). There is a link to the contest on my profile.**

**4. Lastly, if there are any "Breaking Free" readers, I donated a future-shot (which is actually kind of like just another chapter of the story) to the Fandom Against Domestic Violence charity. There is information on my profile about this cause.**

**Thank you again for reading :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks for the reading and leaving reviews on this story. I know I kind of fail at replying to reviews all the time. I try to answer when I can but with four kids it's hard to find time for anything. I appreciate everyone's thoughts though, good or bad.**

**Thank you AstonMartin823 for beta'ing this for me and always being such a great friend who I can count on to help me out with my crazy stories. You are very much appreciated. Oh and thanks for the Oreo and Sunkist help ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters involved. **

**BPOV**

We pulled up in front of this large house surrounded by snow and trees. There were other houses in the area and in the nearby town there were stores and skiing lodges along with rental places. The butterflies in my stomach were getting to me. I didn't quite know why I was so nervous about going skiing. It's not like I hadn't seen it done before and heard all about it from my friends. I think I was more afraid of being in this house with Edward and his aunt and uncle for five days. I've never really been away from my dad other than a couple sleepovers with friends when I was growing up. I was already worried about him. I hoped he would be okay without me for a few days. I made up plenty of dinners he could just heat up in the oven and made sure everything he might need was at his reach. He insisted I stop fussing over him, but I couldn't help it.

"Bella," Edward said breaking me from my thoughts of my dad. "Are you coming?"

I realized I was still staring gape-mouthed at the house in front of us while I thought about my dad.

"Yeah," I replied scooting across the backseat. "Can I get cell phone service up here?"

"You should. If not I'm sure you can use the phone inside," Edward answered taking my hand to help me out of the jeep.

"I can call collect if I need to. I don't want to cause a large bill for your uncle."

"Bella," he laughed. "It's not a big deal. If you need to call your dad you can."

I sighed, trying to fight the nerves. Edward pulled me into his arms realizing the tension I was feeling.

"Everything will be fine," he assured. "Your dad knows the number of where we're staying, you went overboard on making sure he's taken care of while you're gone and my aunt and uncle love you. It was there idea to invite you in the first place. You have nothing to worry about."

It was so like him to know exactly what it was I was afraid of. This was going to be a big test all around. This was my chance to make a good impression on Esme and Carlisle and also a chance to find out if my dad can survive without me. If I was ever going to college I had to know he could take care of himself.

In a way I think this was a test for me and Edward too. We had been dating since Christmas. It's been almost three months. From what most girls said this was a long time to be dating someone without having sex. I wasn't ready. I don't want to give that part of myself to anyone yet. But I don't want to lose Edward either. I know he'd never try to pressure me, but he might get bored with me and find someone else. I'd heard it happen so many times in school. I worried this was going to be the defining moment in our relationship. Would I be strong enough to say no or would I give in?

"Come on," Edward said taking my hand in his. "Let's go explore and find our room."

"Our room?" I asked hesitating to follow him.

"I meant rooms," he quickly excused with a chuckle. "I just meant let's go check out the house and get unpacked."

I bit the side of my cheek nervously and followed him into the house.

Inside was a large open area with large floor to ceiling windows overlooking the mountains of snow. The kitchen to the right was huge. I've never seen a kitchen that big. Even the kitchen at the soup kitchen wasn't this big.

Edward pulled me towards the wrought iron staircase along the wall to go upstairs. Along the balcony from upstairs you could look down into the living room and the main entrance area. The whole house was breathtaking.

"I think that's the master bedroom," Edward pointed towards the end of the hallway. "Then these two rooms right here should be identical and the bathroom separates them. Which one would you like?"

"It doesn't matter."

He led me into one of them and let go of my hand. I walked around the room and looked out the large window overlooking the mountains. When I turned around he was watching me closely like he was trying to gauge my mood.

"This is perfect. I've never seen a house so beautiful before. I keep wondering if I'm in some sort of fairytale."

He smiled a crooked, bashful grin, before walking over to me and wrapping his arms around my waist. He gave me a sweet kiss and rested his head against mine. "I'm glad you're here with me. I don't think I could handle being here with just Esme and Carlisle for five days by myself. At least now I'll have someone to talk to."

"I'm glad I'm here too. I don't think I'd like being away from you for five days," I admitted bashfully.

"Really? You would miss me?" he asked with a proud look on his face.

"Of course I would. We've been together just about every day since the beginning of the year."

He leaned in hesitantly and took my bottom lip in his. We kissed passionately and rocked from side to side almost dancing, as we wrapped our arms around each other so tightly.

Suddenly there was a throat clearing sound in the door and we both jumped apart, ducking our heads and trying to hide from embarrassment. Carlisle stood in the doorway giving us a look of being caught. His eyebrow was raised and lips were pursed.

"There is a lot of stuff in the jeep we still need to bring in. I'd like it if you both would help out a little."

"We're coming," Edward answered taking my hand and guiding me past Carlisle towards the stairs.

After bringing everything in and unpacking all our stuff, we drove into town to buy groceries for the week and to get dinner. We stopped at this rustic steakhouse restaurant for dinner. I was so nervous being here with all of them, I barely ate anything. I still felt like I needed to be proper and have etiquette lessons to be around them.

"I think before we go back to the house we need to discuss some ground rules," Carlisle suggested. I heard Edward huff and lean back in his chair at the mention of it.

"Just listen, Edward," Carlisle demanded.

I sat up in my seat and gave my full attention to Carlisle.

"I don't want either of you in the other's room while we're here. I don't mind if you spend time together downstairs or even in the loft area upstairs, but I want you both to be visible to either me or Esme. Curfew is ten o'clock. If you go somewhere at all let us know where you're going."

"Can we go to the bathroom alone or do we need to get permission?" Edward asked sarcastically.

Carlisle sighed and gave him a pointed look. "Edward, don't be a smartass."

I turned towards Edward and gave him a warning look.

He rolled his eyes before speaking again. "In other words, we aren't allowed to have sex or basically touch each other the entire time we're here."

I started choking on my saliva and turning beat red when he said it.

"Edward," Esme gasped.

"We aren't… I mean… He's not…" I stuttered shaking my head in horror.

I ducked my head unwilling to look at any of them. I felt like crying and dying all at the same time. I couldn't believe he said that. It obviously meant he'd been thinking about it. Why wouldn't he think about it? He is a guy. I began to feel like this was a really bad idea. I shouldn't have come. I should have stayed home to avoid any awkwardness.

Edward laughed and sat up next to me. "I was just joking. We aren't having sex, and I don't think we plan to any time soon. Neither of you have anything to worry about."

I barely glanced up at Carlisle and noticed he was giving Edward a very serious look.

"Edward, I think we need to talk for a minute," Carlisle ordered standing from the table and waiting for Edward to follow him.

They walked away and I still hadn't looked up from my lap yet.

"Bella," Esme said sweetly trying to get my attention. "Just ignore Edward. He can be kind of an ass at times. He doesn't think before he speaks sometimes. I know what he said embarrassed you, but Carlisle and I know you are a good kid and wouldn't do anything stupid."

She reached across the table and patted my hand. "I'm actually proud of you for holding on to your virginity. I know it's hard in this day and age but it shows you have a lot of respect for yourself and for Edward."

"He wants to though," I timidly pointed out.

"Has he been pressuring you?" she wondered.

"No. He's never even brought it up really. I mean, I like kissing him and being close to him but we haven't gone very far. Hearing him bring it up tonight confirmed he's thought about it, and I'm sure he thought this vacation might be our chance since my dad is always so strict about the time we spend together. I'm just worried if I don't give in to him he's going to find someone else."

"Well if he does he's a fool. You're probably the best thing that's ever happened to him. And honestly, I don't think he would do that to you. I can see it in his face and in his actions the last few months how much he cares about you. I'm not saying he doesn't think about sex, because if he didn't, I think there would be something wrong with him. But I don't think he's going to pressure you into anything or make you feel bad if you don't want to. He has his hand, he'll be fine."

My face heated in embarrassment once again and she smirked.

"Hold on to your virginity as long as you can. If you don't you'll live to regret it, and he probably will too," she suggested. I nodded my head and bit my lip. This was such a difficult conversation to have with someone I barely knew, let alone Edward's aunt.

Moments later Edward and Carlisle walked back over to the table and sat down. Edward didn't look happy but at the moment I was kind of mad at him for saying what he did so I didn't care if he wasn't happy.

While we finished up our dinner, Edward tried to reach over to hold my hand and I wouldn't let him. I linked my fingers together in my lap and stood my ground.

As we drove back to the house I stared out the window and ignored him. I could hear him sighing in frustration next to me but I didn't give in.

When we got back to the house we unloaded the jeep with the groceries, and I helped Esme put stuff away before we all sat in the living room and watched a movie. Again, I kept my arms crossed against my chest.

At ten, we all went to bed. I told Edward goodnight but didn't kiss him or even hug him. I just went to my room and shut the door.

Later in the night, I woke up and felt dehydrated. It was probably the change in environment and the altitude. I got up and quietly walked downstairs to the kitchen to get a drink. I grabbed a glass out of the cupboard and poured some water before realizing there were eyes staring at me from across the room. I jumped and nearly dropped the glass on the floor. In the dark of the kitchen I couldn't make out exactly who it was until he started to move closer to me.

"What are you doing?" I gasped staring up at Edward's face.

"I was in the living room when I heard you come down. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he answered.

"I'm fine, I was only thirsty."

"I thought, maybe you were calling your dad to find a way to get you home," he said with a worried tone to his voice.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because of what happened earlier. I know you're mad at me. I didn't think about how it would make you feel. I honestly meant it as a joke. It's just hard because no matter where we go we don't ever have privacy. They've never really had rules for me. If they did, I broke them anyway. I just thought they wouldn't be as strict as your dad is but they almost seem worse. Please forgive me. I really am sorry and I'll try to think before I say anything from now on."

"Edward, I want to make a good impression on your family. Saying what you did and embarrassing me really hurt my feelings. You've never been like that before, at least not with me."

"I'm sorry. I know I was an ass and you don't deserve that. I never meant to hurt you. I never mean to hurt you, even though I do all the time."

Even in the darkness of the room I could see how upset he was. I moved in closer to him and placed my hand on his cheek.

"You've never hurt me so badly that I couldn't forgive you."

His eyes rose to mine and a small smile spread across his lips. He pulled me into his arms and held me tightly against his chest.

"I really am sorry. I don't want you to be mad at me."

"I'm not anymore." I pulled away and looked up at him nervously. "But you need to realize as much as you're trying to earn my dad's approval for me, I'm doing the same for you with Esme and Carlisle. I want them to like me and trust me with you."

"Bella, they already love you. You don't have anything to prove. After everything you've already done for me why do you think you need to prove more?"

"I just don't want them to think I'm some poor girl who doesn't deserve to be with you."

He laughed and shook his head in confusion. "That's what this is all about? You think you're not good enough for me because of money? Bella, I don't care how much money you have or where you came from and neither do my aunt and uncle. Just because they appear to have money doesn't mean they always have. My dad had to work really hard to get where he was and so did my aunt and uncle. They see that same determination they had, in you. You should hear my aunt talk about you. You're like the daughter she never had. All she talks about is how much she admires you. You don't have anything to prove."

"Can you at least let me try?" I asked.

He laughed again and nodded his head before hugging me tightly. "If you really feel like you have to."

"I do."

He led me into the living room and we cuddled together on the couch watching the snow come down out the large window in front of us. His fingers laced through my hair sending a soothing sensation all through me.

"Can I ask you something?" I wondered. He hummed in response. "I just want to know if you were expecting us to have sex up here."

"No," he responded pulling away. I could tell he wasn't being entirely honest with me by the way he squirmed next to me and refused to look at me. "I'm not going to lie. I have thought about it, quite a lot actually. But I'm not expecting it or going to pressure you into it. Carlisle and my counselor keep telling me I need to wait, and I'm doing the best I can not to think about it." He glanced over at me bashfully. "I'm only human, Bella. A hormonal teenager to be exact; I can't help it."

"I'm not ready," I clarified.

"I know. I told you I would never pressure you into it. I'm not going to think any differently of you if we don't. I'm still going to want to be with you regardless."

"Are you sure? I've been worried you might get bored with me if I don't give in soon. I was talking to Angela the other day and she said she had the same fear when it came to her boyfriend, Ben so she gave in."

He pulled me back into his chest and held me close. "I'm not going anywhere. I could never get bored with you."

I let out a sigh of relief and nestled into his chest.

"I should probably go back upstairs," I said on the verge of falling asleep in his arms.

"You don't have to," he suggested tightening his grip around me.

"What about the rules?" I reminded.

"The rules were we could be together in the living room or in the loft. We just weren't allowed in each other's rooms. I don't think we're breaking any rules. And if we are it's not like it's the first rule I've ever broken."

The more I tried to argue, the more I snuggled into his chest and eventually fell into a deep sleep.

In the morning we were shaken awake by Carlisle who didn't look happy about finding us on the couch. Instantly, I felt ashamed for breaking the rules.

"We weren't in each other's rooms. We were in the living room where you said it was okay for us to be," Edward quickly defended as we sat up on the couch and moved away from each other.

"I also said you needed to be in view of either myself or Esme," Carlisle reminded.

"We didn't do anything," Edward argued. "We just fell asleep. It's not a big deal."

"I promised Charlie I would keep Bella safe, and I need you both to follow the rules," Carlisle continued.

"We will, Carlisle. It won't happen again," I promised.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair just like Edward always did. "I hope not."

"This is so ridiculous," Edward breathed and rolled his eyes. Carlisle gave him a pointed look, like he wasn't going to let what Edward said go.

"I'm going to take a shower," I said nervously. I ran upstairs and locked myself in the bathroom. I didn't want to be downstairs with them arguing. I hated listening to people argue.

I took an extra long shower and spent a lot of time drying my hair and picking out clothes for the day. I knew whatever I wore was going to be covered up with the ski gear so it didn't matter, but I was wasting as much time as I could.

I opened my door a tiny crack to listen for any arguing. All I heard was moving around and dishes being clanked together. The smell of pancakes and bacon wafted across me. My stomach growled at the smell. I took a deep breath and walked downstairs.

"There you are," Esme said noticing me walk into the kitchen. Edward looked up from his plate of food and tilted his head to come sit next to him. I walked around the table and sat down. "Help yourself. There's plenty of food."

I carefully took one pancake from the platter in front of me and one piece of bacon. "Thank you."

"Is that all you're going to eat?" Edward asked.

"I'm not that hungry."

"Skiing takes a lot out of you," Carlisle pointed out. "You should fill up before we go out."

I smiled and took a couple more pancakes from the platter to be polite. After we were done eating and we were all ready to go, we headed out for the slopes.

"Are you nervous?" Edward asked as we stepped out of the jeep.

"Yes," I answered truthfully.

"We'll stick together and learn how to do this."

I nodded my head and took his hand to prevent myself from falling on my face. We were led out to a practice area where Carlisle and Esme tried to teach us what to do. We did more giggling than anything. I was sure Esme and Carlisle were getting frustrated with us.

"Why don't you both go and Bella and I can stay behind to try to figure this out," Edward suggested.

"Are you sure?" Carlisle asked.

"Yeah, we might be here all day trying to make sense of this and there's no reason for both of you to stay. We'll work on it and maybe get up on the slopes by the end of the trip."

"Alright," Carlisle agreed.

"We won't be far if you need anything," Esme added.

Edward and I stood next to each other while we watched them walk towards the lifts. As soon as they were out of sight I looked down at my ski's to align them correctly below me. Before I even knew what was happening, I felt Edward's gloved hands pull my face up to his and give me an eager kiss. We stood there among all the other people, kissing and holding each other for a long time before we broke.

Edward sighed, resting his arms across my shoulders and placing his head against mine. "I never thought they were going to leave. They're worse than Charlie is. I feel like if I even come within two inches of you they're going to bite my head off."

"I'm pretty sure my dad gave them a list of rules. I know my dad trusts me, but I don't think he trusts you enough yet, and he doesn't really know Esme and Carlisle. Considering they've never been parents until now, I don't think he feels like they know what they're doing," I explained.

"If your dad doesn't trust any of us, then why did he let you come?" he asked.

"Because he's trying to give me more freedom, I guess," I answered. "It's been tense between us for a while, ever since we started dating. I think he's afraid of losing his little girl, but at the same time he knows I'm growing up and eventually going to leave. I think he wants me to experience new things, so I don't have some sort of culture shock when I'm out in the real world. One thing he's always talked about while I was growing up is how much he regretted not taking me different places. I've never been anywhere. I've lived in Forks my entire life and never even been out of the state of Washington. Growing up, my dad was always busy with work, and I was left with babysitters until I was old enough to be home by myself. Then after his accident it became literally impossible for us to go anywhere."

I looked down at my feet feeling morose about my dad's condition as well as mine.

"Well if your dad wants you to experience the world, I'll help make it happen. First, by learning how to do this skiing thing," Edward promised wobbling around on his skis. I couldn't help but laugh at him.

We practiced all morning and really didn't get very far. We weren't very good at keeping our balance or moving very well. There were little kids who were rushing past us and showing off. I could tell Edward was getting frustrated and wanted to prove he could ski just as good as they could.

Feeling out of breath and even a little tired from the constant practicing, I stopped to rest for a moment. Edward kept going, attempting to ski down a small slope. I watched in admiration hoping he'd be able to do it just to prove to himself if nothing more.

He started out really well and I could see the smug expression on his face as he came down. However, just as he came to the bottom, he caught his ski in the snow and went tumbling over himself. I jumped off the skis as fast as I could and ran to him, screaming his name. He just laid there, unmoving. I feared the worst and my heart was punching out of my chest from the adrenaline rushing through me. When I reached him, there was already a crowd forming around him.

"Edward?" I shouted breathlessly as I hit my knees at his side.

He moaned in agony and clenched his eyes shut.

"What hurts?" I asked.

"I fucked up my ankle," he spurted through clenched teeth.

"What should I do?"

He whined while rolling in the snow and holding his ankle.

"Can you walk, Kid?" a man asked coming up behind us.

"I don't know. My ankle hurts really badly."

"That was quite the fall you took on such a small slope," the man teased. "Let's get you inside the lodge and have a look at your ankle."

The man helped Edward up and together we walked him into the lodge area. Once he was comfortably in a seat, the man wanted to examine his ankle but Edward refused and told him to find his uncle instead.

I told him where they were and what their names were so he could go search for them.

Edward kept swearing and making grunting noise while he tried to fight the pain. I didn't know what to do to help him. A lady at the front desk brought over an icepack and helped him put it on his ankle.

"My ankle's broken," he insisted. "Fuck, they're going to kill me. Why did this have to happen?"

"They aren't going to kill you. It was only an accident."

"I just fucked up the whole trip, Bella," he shouted in anger. "We're going to have to go home now."

"Who said anything about going home?" Carlisle cut in walking through the doors and over to us as quickly as he could. I stepped out of the way and watched as Carlisle removed his gloves from his hands and examined Edward's ankle. There were even more swear words and grunting noises leaving Edward's mouth as Carlisle did the examination.

"Well it's not broken," Carlisle assured. "It's just a bad sprain but you're going to need to stay off of it for a while, which means no more skiing."

"Are you sure it's not broken?" the man who helped Edward into the lodge earlier asked standing over Carlisle and watching closely. "I've never seen anyone fall on that little hill before. Even the little tykes can make it." He snickered before continuing further. "When he fell he looked like he was about to cry."

"I wasn't about to fucking cry, you dumb shit. What-the-fuck-ever."

"Edward, calm down," Carlisle warned. Edward let out an exasperated sigh and glared over at the man.

"We should get you back to the house," Carlisle suggested beginning to help him to his feet.

"Maybe you should take him to a doctor just to be sure it's not broken. He fell pretty hard."

"Excuse me," Carlisle interrupted sharply. "I am a doctor, and I know how to care for my nephew. I don't need your opinion. Now please get out of our way."

Carlisle pushed past him, helping Edward out of the lodge.

Esme had already brought the jeep around to the front of the lodge for us. I hopped in the back seat and helped guide Edward in next to me. He had an angry look on his face and wouldn't even look at me while we drove back.

Once back at the cabin, Carlisle had Edward lay on the couch with his leg propped up on a pillow and an icepack on it. I sat in the living room all afternoon and watched TV with him. I could still see the anger on his face. I could tell he was still reliving the embarrassment of falling on the kiddie slop and being teased about it. I would feel the same way too. I couldn't do it either so it's not like he was alone.

We all went to bed fairly early that night. Edward slept on the couch, and as much as I wanted to stay down there with him, I knew I couldn't. I didn't need either of us getting in any more trouble. I worried about him all night.

Bright and early the next morning I was up and downstairs with Edward. Esme was busy in the kitchen making breakfast, while Carlisle was taking a look at Edward's ankle. I only caught a glimpse of his ankle before Carlisle covered it back up. It didn't look good. There was quite a bit of bruising and swelling. It looked painful.

"Can I get you anything?" I asked timidly. He still hadn't talked to me much since his accident. I was afraid he might be mad at me for some reason.

"No, I'm fine."

I bit my lip nervously and sat down in the chair across from him. A few minutes later Esme brought in a plate full of muffins and passed them around to us.

"Esme and I were talking and we think it would be best with what happened yesterday that we go home early," Carlisle informed.

"No!" Edward shouted. "I'm not going to let everyone else's vacation get ruined just because of me. I'll be fine staying here by myself."

"Edward, we can't let you stay here by yourself all day," Esme interjected.

"Why? I'll just stay here on the couch and watch TV. It's not a big deal. I don't want to go home yet," Edward argued.

"I could stay to take care of him," I offered.

"Bella, we can't let you do that," Carlisle refused.

"Well I don't plan to go without Edward, and I don't want you two to miss out on your skiing. I don't mind staying here and helping Edward out."

"It sounds like a good idea to me," Edward agreed.

Esme and Carlisle shared a concerned look.

"Come on, you can't seriously think something is going to happen?" Edward asked. "I can barely move."

"All we're going to do is watch movies, and I don't know maybe play a board game," I added. "I'll make us lunch and make sure he stays off his foot and keeps it elevated. Go have fun and I'll take care of everything. I'll even make dinner tonight if you want."

"Have a little trust in us, please," Edward pleaded. "We'll be good and you can check in on us all day long if you want. There's no reason to waste the next two days just because of me. We'll be fine."

"Alright," Carlisle agreed with a heavy sigh. "We'll be checking in quite often though."

"I assumed you would," Edward complained.

"What would you like me to make for dinner tonight?" I asked of Esme.

"Oh Hun, there's no reason to for you to make dinner. You're supposed to be on vacation."

"I don't mind. I like to cook and it'll give me something to do."

"Well if you really want to, I guess you can. There's plenty of food in the kitchen so help yourself to whatever you want."

"Thank you."

About an hour later they finally left. I could tell they were a little concerned about leaving us alone all day. To be honest, I was concerned about being here alone with Edward all day. I didn't know if I could trust myself with him.

For most of the morning we watched TV, and then Edward wanted to watch a movie. Carlisle and Esme called just about every hour on the hour. It irritated Edward but he should have expected it.

"What do you want for lunch?" I asked around noon.

"I don't care. Whatever you feel like making will be fine."

"Okay." I walked into the kitchen and searched the cupboards for something to make. I settled on tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. It was easy and sounded really good. Once it was done I carried it out to him on a tray.

We sat silently and ate.

"Bella," he began sadly. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For ruining your vacation," he answered.

"You didn't ruin my vacation. Honestly Edward, I didn't really care for skiing. I'd rather just stay here with you and watch movies all day."

He smiled bashfully, ducking his head a little. "Thanks for staying with me today. I would have been bored to death if you weren't here."

"Where else would I go?" I reached out for his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

After we were done eating Edward suggested we play chess. I'd never played chess before so he had to explain the rules to me. The first couple games he beat me in about four moves. For a change we were both laughing and having a good time. Edward suggested we have a snack so I went into the kitchen bringing back Oreo cookies and a couple Sunkist sodas.

"Oreos are the best cookie ever," Edward pointed out taking yet another cookie from the package and sticking the whole thing in his mouth.

"They aren't good unless they're the double stuff," I added making a move on the chess board.

"I agree with you there. They have to be the double stuff."

Edward took his turn in the game, while I watched his face closely as he calculated my possible moves as well as his own. I still didn't know how to play the game well, but I could see the concentration on the game in Edward's face.

"You can't move there," he pointed out after I made a move on the chessboard.

"Why not?" I asked.

"You can only move this piece diagonal," he explained with a small chuckle.

"Then what piece is it that moves up and down?" I wondered.

"This one," he answered, holding up the little piece that looked like a tower.

I grumbled and moved my piece back to scope out my next move. "Where did you learn how to play chess?" I asked.

"My dad," he answered somberly. "We used to play all the time. We even did speed chess a few times. That's intense.

"I always wanted to know how to play, but I never seemed to have time to learn," I explained. "Thank you for teaching me."

He nodded his head graciously and smiled. "I haven't played chess with anyone since my dad died. I've never had anyone to play with."

"Well you have me now. We can play anytime you want."

I smiled across the board at him and suddenly his eyes changed. In an instant, he pushed the chessboard aside and pulled me closer to him, kissing me intensely. I was a little caught off guard at first but quickly fell into formation against his body. I wrapped my arms around his neck and raked my fingers through his hair. He pulled me even further into his lap and sat up as much as he could to continue kissing me. His hands drifted up and down my back and caught the hem of my shirt. He lifted it slightly, hesitantly, before resting the other on the small of my bare back. As much as I loved having him touch me, there was a voice in the back of my head telling me this was wrong.

I recoiled back into myself and sat back down on the little stool we had been using as a table.

Edward sighed frustratingly and lay back against the couch.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Don't be. I should be the one who's sorry."

I wiped my lips with the back of my hand and brushed my hair off of my shoulders. I looked all around the room accept directly at him. I knew by the tone of his voice he was upset, which made me even more nervous about whether or not I'd lose him if I didn't give in soon.

"Bella, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," I agreed nervously.

"Do you ever… Well the other night you asked me if I thought about it and I admitted I do… all the time. Do you ever think about it?" His eyes rose to mine tentatively.

"Yes," I admitted honestly. His lips began to rise in a pleased smile. "But I don't think we look at it the same way." In an instant his smile dropped into a confused and almost hurt expression. "I don't think about sex as being something pleasurable and exciting like you do. I think about it as a fear and something that gives me a lot of anxiety."

His mouth opened in horror and then his eyes downcast toward the floor. "What is it exactly that you're afraid of?" I wondered.

"I'm afraid of it hurting. I'm afraid of not doing it right and disappointing you. I worry about getting pregnant. I have so many plans and dreams for myself, and I can't have a kid right now. Then of course I worry about getting caught. I'm just scared that if I do give in, it'll mess everything up between us.

"I guess that's a good thing to know," he said with disappointment thick in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I'm just not ready."

He smiled reassuringly and cupped my cheek with his hand. "It's okay. I get it, I do. Doesn't mean I'm not a little disappointed, though. But I respect your decision, as hard as it may be for me, and I promise I won't ever push you to do anything you don't want to do. I'm not with you just for sex. We can wait if you aren't ready. I don't want our first time, if there ever is a first time, to be something you're afraid of."

I smiled at his sincerity and curled up on the couch next to him. His arms wrapped around me protectively and I felt his lips brush across my hair a few times.

As hard as it was to admit my feelings to him, I'm glad I did. At least now I don't have to be afraid of losing him.

"Can I ask you to do a favor for me?" he wondered. I sat up to look at him and I noticed he looked embarrassed or maybe a little ashamed.

"What is it?" I prompted, realizing he was hesitating letting me know what he needed.

"I smell," he blurted. I was taken aback by his words and gave him a peculiar look. "I need a shower, really bad. I'd use the downstairs bathroom but there isn't a shower. I need to go upstairs and I don't think I can hobble all the way up there by myself. Would you be willing to help me?"

I snickered at his request and his embarrassment of asking me. "Do you want me to wear a blindfold like I had you wear?" I joked.

"I wouldn't make you wear a blindfold," he revealed with a raised, playful eyebrow.

My face went blank and my mouth hung open.

"Look, all I need is someone to lean on while I go up the stairs. Once I'm in the bathroom I think I can hobble my way around."

I stood to my feet and put out my hand to help him up. He rose to his feet and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. I did my best to let him lean on me while he limped towards the stairs. Walking up the stairs was difficult. We had to take one at a time and he used the side rails for extra support. He still grimaced quite a bit though. I think he was trying to hold back just how much it hurt so he didn't look like a wimp in front of me. I'd never think that of him anyway, because I know how it felt when I broke my arm. I understood his pain.

It took us about ten minutes to make it up the stairs but we finally made it to the bathroom. I let him go next to the sink and he limped across the floor.

"Edward, just sit down and I'll help you," I ordered.

He smirked and did as I said by sitting on the lid of the toilet. I reached into the tub and started the water for a bath. I didn't think it would be safe for him to take a shower with his ankle messed up. While the tub filled I grabbed a towel out of the hall closet and put it within easy reach from the tub. Next, I went into his room and pulled out some sweats and a t-shirt for him. I know it was against the rules to be in his room, but he wasn't in there with me so I figured it would be okay just this once. When I walked back into the bathroom, my eyes fell upon Edward's bare chest. My face flushed as thoughts of touching him ran through my mind. I had to turn my head and try to push the thoughts out of my mind.

"I brought you some clothes to change into when you're done," I said placing the clothes on the counter and in a way to avoid looking at him I soothed the t-shirt flat with my hand.

I chanced a glance in his direction and he had a crooked smile on his face. I was sure he knew exactly what was going on inside my head.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I kneeled down in front of him and unwrapped his ankle. The ankle was black and blue and swollen. If I had to make a guess, I'd say it was broken. I cringed looking at it and knowing how painful it must be.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital to have an x-ray?" I asked. "I know Carlisle's a good doctor but this doesn't look like just a sprain."

"I'm sure it's fine. Carlisle knows what he's doing. It's actually feeling a lot better today than it was yesterday."

"Does it hurt when you move it?" I asked while examining it carefully.

He hissed before answering. "No."

I laughed lightly. "Liar."

"I think my ego is more damaged than my ankle. I mean, I had to ask my girlfriend to help me take a bath."

"Don't act like you didn't enjoy me waiting on you, hand and foot today," I teased.

"I'm not," he said playing along.

My ever present need to touch him got the better of me. While rising to my feet, I placed my hand against his bare chest for support. His eyes traveled to my hand and watched as my fingers raked down his stomach. His hooded eyes rose to mine and I could tell I was getting to him.

"I think I'm going to get started on dinner," I said. "Are you going to be okay up here?"

"Yeah," he breathed.

"If you need anything just call for me," I suggested.

I walked out of the bathroom and shut the door behind me before letting out a sigh of relief. To calm myself down a little I went to the kitchen to get started on dinner. I had planned to make grilled chicken alfredo with a salad and some warm chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

I whipped up a batch of cookie dough and while they were cooking in the oven I went to work grilling the chicken and boiling the water for the noodles.

When I was pulling out the last batch of cookies from the oven, Esme and Carlisle walked through the door.

"Hi, Bella," Esme greeted, while taking off her coat, gloves, and boots by the door. "How did things go today?"

"Everything was fine. We watched some movies and Edward taught me how to play chess."

"And filled up on junk food, I see," she said noticing the Oreo package and the pop cans all over the living room. I blushed at being caught and internally kicked myself for not cleaning up before they got home.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I'll clean it up."

"Where is Edward?" Carlisle asked, noticing he wasn't on the couch in the living room.

"He wanted to take a shower. I helped him get upstairs and I ran him a bath instead, because I didn't think it would be safe for him to be standing in the shower," I explained. "I actually think you should look at his ankle, Carlisle. It's really swollen and bruised. He grimaced all the way up the stairs."

Carlisle smirked and nodded his head before making his way up the stairs to check on him.

"Something smells really good. What did you decide to make?" Esme asked.

"Grilled Chicken Alfredo with a salad and chocolate chip cookies for dessert," I answered. "Is that okay?"

"Of course it is. You have no idea how much I appreciate you making dinner for us. It's very thoughtful of you to want to help. And I'm sure Carlisle and Edward will be excited about the cookies."

I smiled excitedly at her acceptance. I finished up the last batch of cookies and began to plate the alfredo just as Carlisle was helping Edward down the stairs.

Edward was able to put more weight on his ankle after the bath and having Carlisle look at it. He hobbled into the kitchen and snatched up a cookie sitting on the counter, which prompted Carlisle to do the same.

"You both are impossible," Esme accused playfully.

"How's your ankle?" I asked Edward.

"Much better actually," he answered while eating his cookie. "I think the hot water helped and whatever it was Carlisle put on it."

I glanced to Carlisle for answers. "It's just a pain relief cream and an ace bandage. You should be more mobile now."

"So it's really not broken?" I asked for clarification.

"No," Carlisle answered. "He'll be fine as long as he takes it easy."

"Great," I said relieved.

After we ate dinner and devoured just about all the cookies I made we all sat down in the living room and played a game of Monopoly. Edward and Carlisle were both very competitive and ended up in a draw at the end.

The next day, Esme and Carlisle decided to take a break from skiing so Carlisle stayed home with Edward while Esme took me out for a day of pampering. We went to a local spa and had manicures and pedicures as well as a massage and facial. I'd never done anything like this in all my life. I'd heard about it but never had the chance to experience any of it. Afterwards, we went around to all the shops and did a little shopping. I found this really neat pocket knife with a salmon carved into the wooden handle for my dad. My dad has always collected rustic things like that, and I knew he'd like it.

We stopped at a small café for lunch before heading back to the cabin. I thanked Esme repeatedly for the amazing day. I had so much fun and enjoyed spending time with Esme. She was always so polite to me and always treated me like I was her best friend.

On our last day of vacation, Esme and Carlisle went skiing for a couple hours first thing in the morning before coming back to pack up our stuff and head back home. I was kind of sad to be leaving. I had fun with Edward's family and enjoyed getting away for a while. It's been so long since I'd left my dad's side for longer than a few hours. However, as much as I enjoyed having a little break from reality, I was looking forward to seeing my dad again. I missed him terribly and couldn't wait to give him a huge hug.

"Are you ready?" Edward asked, limping over to stand next to me.

"Yes," I answered taking his hand and walking towards the jeep. As much as I liked being here I was ready to go home.

**Thanks for reading. I made some changes to my profile to let everyone know what I've been up to in the fandom lately so check it out if you want. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Long delay on this story, I know, but the fandom causes stories are done and I'm back on a regular posting schedule for all my WIP stories. My goal is to post on all my WIP stories every other week so this story should update more regularly. I hope anyway. I'm looking at only 10-12 more chapters for this story, so more drama is about to happen here soon.**

**Thanks AstonMartin823 for betaing and being such a great friend. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters. No copyright infringement intended.**

It was already May, and the end of the school year was fast approaching. I had asked Bella to the prom earlier in the month, and at first she didn't really want to go, which I was fine with. I only asked because I thought she would want to go. However, as the prom got closer she began to have second thoughts. She was hearing all her friends talk about buying their prom dresses and who they were going with, so she decided maybe she better go just for the experience. The thought of what this could mean had me absolutely willing to go. It was kind of tradition to lose your virginity on prom night, right? I planned to do everything in my power to make that happen. I wanted Bella, and I wanted to go farther in our relationship. I wanted more. I just hoped she was ready. She had to be ready if she was willing to spend the entire night with me. I had already talked to her about getting a hotel room since the prom committee decided to have the prom in a ritzy hotel in Port Angeles instead of in our own town. She didn't seem worried about spending the night with me. It was finally going to happen.

"How have you been doing, Edward?" my counselor, Mr. Greene asked as I walked into his office for my weekly visit.

"I guess I'm good," I answered sitting down in the chair across from him.

"Any troubles with your addiction?" he wondered. This was always the first question he asked when I came every week. It had been about five months since I'd been coming once a week and so far I only had a couple screw-ups. The first being only a few weeks after I started and one other time recently when I found out I was failing Algebra. Before it wouldn't have bothered me, but now it wasn't what I wanted to happen. I wanted to do better.

Thankfully, Bella stepped in to pull me out of my depression and offered to tutor me. She was entirely too forgiving and always there to help me when I messed up. I owed everything to her.

"Not recently," I answered.

"And how is school going?" This was always the next question.

"It's good. I'm not some straight A student like Bella, but I'm not failing anything at least."

"How is Bella?" he asked with a smirk. Many times Bella would come with me to my meetings and Mr. Greene had a soft spot for her. I don't think there were many people who knew her who didn't think she was the most amazing girl ever.

"She's great," I replied with a proud smile. "She's been working more hours while one of her co-workers is on maternity leave, so we don't get to see each other as often as I'd like, but we find time where we can."

"Are you still working at the soup kitchen?"

"Yep," I answered. "I like it there. I like what I do even if it is a fairly easy task. I like the people who come in. I like who I work with."

"That's great. I think working there is a really good thing for you. It gives you a sense of worth and meaning. I think you need that right now," he theorized.

I nodded my head in agreement. "Bella talked me into doing this mentoring program also. We go to the middle school once a week and help out some of the kids there who need a little extra help."

"Really? You haven't told me about this yet."

"Well, I've only gone a few times. I wasn't sure I was even going to stick to it at first. I didn't know how exactly_ I_ could mentor someone," I said with a chuckle in my voice. "But I was assigned to this kid named Seth. He lost his father a few months ago and now he lives with his mom and older sister. He feels all alone and like he has no one to talk to. I saw myself in him. I wish I had someone who was there for me when my dad first died."

"What about Esme and Carlisle? Weren't they there for you?" he wondered.

I shrugged my shoulders and frowned at his question. "I never saw them as being there for me like I needed. They were there because they had to, not because they wanted to."

"I see."

"It's not like I don't think they care about me, but they didn't have much of a choice when they took me in. I didn't have any other family besides them. If they didn't take me in then I had no one."

"And you don't think they took you in because they wanted to?"

"I really don't know. They've never said whether they did it because they wanted to or because they were forced to. Honestly, I don't know if I want to know. I think if I knew it might make me even more depressed."

"So, in other words you've already come to the conclusion they didn't really want you."

I shrugged again and sighed heavily. "I guess. I just assumed since they don't have kids of their own they probably didn't want kids. So why would they want me?"

"Sometimes there are other reasons why people don't have kids. I think you need to stop making assumptions and not always focus on the negative," he suggested.

I glared over at him not because I thought he was wrong but because he was right. I didn't want him to be right.

"So, what kind of things do you do at this mentoring program with Seth?" he asked, changing the subject.

I was grateful he did also. I didn't want to talk about Esme and Carlisle anymore. "Well, at first I was told to help him with his homework, but he's probably smarter than I am even though he's only a seventh grader. Now we just hang out and play games. He's really good at cribbage so we spend most of the hour playing and talking. He's not in a really good place right now, and I think he needed a man to talk to. I can imagine living with his mom and sister has got to be tough on him. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have Carlisle to talk to and only had Esme."

"I have to commend you, Edward. You have definitely proven to everyone you could turn your life around. I don't think I've ever seen someone so determined to get through their demons and fight against them."

"I'm not done yet," I laughed. "I think I replaced my drug and alcohol addictions with a sex addition." After I admitted it to him I felt stupid for saying it. I hadn't planned to admit that to him. It was a huge embarrassment. All he did was laugh though, while I turned beat red.

"I think an addiction to sex is a normal addiction for someone your age. As long as you aren't doing anything to hurt someone," he warned.

"No, no," I quickly assured. "I would never do anything to hurt Bella. I've never pressured her or tried to convince her in anyway. It's just hard not to give in to what I want. Every time I kiss her, I think maybe this time will be different and we'll go a little bit further, but she always stops it and it's entirely too painful and difficult to deal with. I feel like I'm going to explode, figuratively, if we don't have sex soon."

"And what if you don't?" he asked.

"Huh?" I muttered, confused by the question.

"What if Bella is never ready? What then?"

I thought it over for a minute but came up empty handed with a reasonable answer. "I don't know."

"Would you break up with her? Would you force her? Would you cheat on her?" He spewed out possibility after possibility and none of them worked. I wasn't going to break up with her or force her or find someone else. I wanted her.

"I guess I need to figure out how to deal with my sex addiction now," I theorized.

He laughed again and shook his head. "You don't have a sex addiction. You're just a normal teenage boy who has too many hormones running through your body. You just need to be careful not to act on those hormones if you truly want to wait for Bella."

"I'm almost eighteen though. Isn't it unusual for a guy not to have lost his virginity by now? I mean, I've had offers a few times, before Bella ever came along. But I was always too drunk or wasted to actually go through with it. Now I'm at the point I don't even know if I'll ever lose my virginity. Bella's clearly not ready."

"If you love her enough, you'll be willing to wait. It's all a matter of willpower just like staying away from the drugs and alcohol. You can do it if you really want it bad enough."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was going to be harder than I thought.

After my session I headed home and took a shower before eating dinner. Carlisle was on call at the hospital and Esme was in Seattle on business. I spent most of the night alone watching TV and lounging on the couch.

Around eleven there was a knock on the door, which startled me at first. I turned off the TV and slowly walked to the door peaking through the window to see who it was. I was shocked, when I saw Bella standing on the other side of the door soaking wet from the rain and crying.

I quickly jerked the door open and in an instant she collapsed into my arms and sobbed. We stood there in the doorway for quite a while allowing her to sob into my chest. I soothed her hair back and held her tightly as she cried uncontrollably. I had no idea what was wrong with her but the thoughts of why she might be this upset rushed through my head. Had something happened to her dad? Did something happen to one of her friends at the soup kitchen? Did she get fired from her job? Did someone hurt her? I wanted to know but I also didn't want her to be bothered with giving me details when she could barely breathe from the crying.

After shutting the door and removing the soaking wet coat from her, I walked us over to the couch and sat her down. For an hour all we did was sit on the couch while she cried. Every time I thought she was letting up she would start again. I didn't know how to help her or if I should call someone. All I knew was she was beyond upset about something and she needed me to comfort her.

Eventually, around one o'clock in the morning she fell asleep on my lap. I carefully picked her small frame up in my arms and carried her upstairs. I placed her in my bed and covered her up before climbing in next to her and holding her in my arms.

As hard as I tried to go to sleep the thoughts of what might be wrong with her plagued me. I had to know. As carefully as possible I crawled out from underneath her and went downstairs to make some phone calls.

First, I called Carlisle to make sure no one we might know was there.

"Edward, it's been a slow night. No one is here," Carlisle informed. "I don't know what's wrong with Bella, but in the morning if she's still upset you might want to bring her in just to be evaluated. Especially if something serious happened you need to bring her in."

"I will. I'm going to call Charlie just to make sure he's okay and so he knows she's here."

"I think that's a good idea. I'm sure whatever it is will work itself out," he offered.

I hung up with Carlisle and dialed Charlie's number. He answered on the first ring indicating he'd probably been waiting to hear from Bella.

"Hello? Bella?" he anxiously answered the phone.

"No, it's Edward. Bella is here at my house asleep. She came by earlier crying hysterically. I couldn't get her to stop."

He sighed sounding relieved but upset at the same time.

"Are you okay, Charlie?" I asked.

"I'm fine now. At least I know where she is."

"What happened? She won't say anything to me. Well, she couldn't anyway since she was crying so hard. Did someone try to hurt her?" I questioned.

"No, it's nothing like that. It's just a personal family matter," he answered vaguely. "Look, just have her call me in the morning and tell her to come home."

"Okay," I agreed. "Are you sure she's alright? She was very upset when she got here."

"She'll be fine. Just tell her to come home so we can discuss what happened."

I agreed once again but only became more and more curious about what was really going on. After I hung up the phone I went back upstairs and crawled into my bed. Bella instinctively moved closer and curled up around me. I held her close trying to give her at least some sense of relief.

We didn't wake up until late the next morning, skipping the day of school. Bella sat up on the bed and already she looked like she was going to cry again.

I quickly reached out and wiped her tears away. "Hey, it's okay. Whatever it is we'll work it out. I'm by your side no matter what," I assured.

She sniffled and downcast her eyes while fiddling with her fingers in her lap.

"My dad is making me go to Florida for the summer," she blurted with a shaky voice.

"What?" I questioned almost hoping this was some sick joke.

"He wants me to spend the summer with my mom while the contractors come in to work on the house. He doesn't want me to be in the way," she cried.

"Why would you be in the way?"

"I don't know. He just doesn't want me there. He said I don't have a choice in the matter. I have to go."

"No!" I exclaimed unwilling to believe it was true. Charlie was planning on taking her away from me for the entire summer? This couldn't be happening.

Her face scrunched up and she began to cry again. I pulled her into my arms and held her close as I felt like my entire world was caving in around me. I couldn't go a whole summer without seeing her. Why would Charlie do this to her seeing how much it upset her?

"We got in a huge argument last night after he told me. I tried to tell him I wasn't going and I didn't care if he thought it was best for me or not. I'm not going, Edward. I'll run away if I have to. I'm not going," she insisted through her sobs.

"Shhh, don't worry. We'll figure it out. I'll talk to Charlie myself," I assured.

"I don't even know my mom. How can I spend an entire summer with her? I won't do it."

"I know, we'll get you out of this," I promised.

Later in the day after she stopped crying and I made her eat something, I drove her home. We sat in the car outside her house for a few minutes. She stared up at the house like it was some sort of monster about to eat her.

"Bella, it'll be okay. I'll talk to him." I reached out and took her hand in mine, squeezing it to comfort her. She sighed heavily and nodded her head, before opening up the door. We walked up to the front door hand in hand and went in. Charlie was sitting in his chair looking pained and frustrated.

"Bella," he expressed with relief in his voice. "I've been so worried about you."

"I'm fine, Daddy. I stayed with Edward because I just couldn't be here. I didn't want to fight with you anymore," Bella explained.

"I knew where you were. Edward called me last night," Charlie admitted. Bella glanced in my direction with accusatory eyes.

"You called him?" she asked angrily, on the verge of tears once again.

"I was worried, Bella. I didn't know what was wrong with you or if something happened to Charlie. I had to let him know where you were," I confessed.

"You're supposed to be on my side," she complained.

"I am on your side. I just needed to know what to do to help you."

She shook her head and looked away. "I don't want to talk to either of you right now. I'm going to my room." She rushed past both of us and headed for the stairs. As she ran up the stairs she yelled one more thing, "and I'm not going to Florida. I don't care what you say." Charlie grumbled just as she slammed her bedroom door. I glanced over at Charlie nervously as he raked his hands across his face.

"I think she needs some time to herself," I suggested. He nodded his head in agreement.

"That girl is stressing me out. I don't know how to relieve my stress anymore. If I still had use of my legs I'd go fishing. I haven't been fishing in so long," Charlie reminisced.

"Well, why don't we go?" I suggested. "I can get you out there on the dock and you can fish." I wanted to talk to him anyway about this summer trip he was forcing on Bella, so this was a good way to get him alone.

"You're serious?" he questioned skeptically.

"Why not?"

"Alright," he agreed. "I have fishing gear out in the shed."

I ran out to the shed and gathered up what I could find that resembled fishing gear. I'd never been fishing in my life so I had no idea what I was supposed to grab. I threw all of what I thought we might need in the back of the truck before going back to help Charlie.

The drive to the dock was done in silence. I wanted to talk to him but I didn't know what to say to convince him not to send her. The only thing I could possibly think of to make him suddenly want to send Bella to spend an entire summer with her mother, someone she hasn't seen since she was six years old, is because of me. Charlie never wanted me to be with his daughter and I'm sure he figured by now we would have broken up, but we didn't. He needed to find some other way to separate us. I'm sure he assumes I'll move on to someone else or Bella will come to her senses or some shit like that.

I pulled up to the dock and helped Charlie into his wheelchair before grabbing the fishing gear from the back of the truck. We went to the end of the dock when Charlie finally looked at all I was carrying. He laughed animatedly, shaking his whole body.

"You really didn't need to bring all of this."

"Oh."

"Have you ever been fishing?" he wondered.

"No," I answered with a chuckle.

"Your dad never once took you fishing?"

"I think he may have once or twice when I was little, but he wasn't so good at it. I don't think I know what I'm doing."

"It's fairly easy. I'll help you get set up."

He directed me to hand him certain things from the tackle box and explained exactly what he was doing and how to do it. Once the line was in the water, he handed me the fishing pole and told me to wait.

I tried to speak to him numerous times, but every time my mouth opened the words didn't come out.

"I got one!" he shouted, reeling his line in. I practically jumped to my feet from him shouting. "Get that net right there and dip it in the water to pull him up." I did as he asked and pulled up the fish he had connected to his line.

"What do you do with it now?" I asked.

"You grab it and take the hook out of its mouth," he replied. I looked down at the fish squirming in the net. How the hell am I supposed to grab it?

"Where do I hold it?"

"Just reach in and grab it."

With a deep breath and a quick jolt, I reached in and grabbed the fish as tightly as I could.

"Good, now pull out the hook," he instructed.

I did as he said and grabbed the hook to work it out of the fish's mouth.

"It's a beauty, isn't it?" Charlie admired.

"What kind of fish is it?" I asked.

"It's a trout," he deadpanned. "Don't tell me you've never seen a trout before?"

"I've lived in the city most of my life. The only place I've ever seen a trout is on a plate."

Charlie laughed exuberantly once again at my answer. I could tell he was definitely relaxing after his stressful night with Bella. Maybe this would be a good time to bring it up.

"Charlie, can I ask why you're sending Bella to spend the summer with her mom?"

His once jubilant and relaxed face turned tense. "It's for her own good."

"She doesn't want to go, though."

"Until she's eighteen I'm still her legal guardian and I can tell her to go if I want to," he argued.

"Even if it hurts her? Why would you force her to do something she doesn't want to do?" I questioned angrily.

"Edward, it's really none of your business. She's my daughter and I'll make the decisions."

"Are you sending her there because of me?" I asked.

"Why would you think that?"

"I know you don't like me with Bella. I'm pretty sure you've been hoping we would break up eventually. I think this is your way of actually splitting us up."

"You may be right," he admitted as he cast his line out into the water once again.

"Why, Charlie?" I questioned.

"Look, you saw how Bella behaved today. She's never acted like this before. We've never fought or had any type of disagreement, until you came along. I just think she needs some time away to get her priorities back in focus."

"In other words, I'm a bad influence on her and you want to blame me for Bella wanting to stick up for herself and have an opinion about her own life?"

"That's not what I mean at all. I just don't want her to get so wrapped up in the first real boyfriend she's ever had and lose focus on what she's been working towards all these years. You know next year after she graduates she's planning to go off to college, right? What are you planning to do, follow her?"

"Maybe I'll go to college too," I suggested.

"Maybe you will, but for right now my focus is my daughter. I need to do what is best for her."

"What about what she wants? What if your little plan to break us up doesn't work? What will you do next?" I questioned.

"I'm not trying to keep you two apart, I'm just trying to look out for her. Being a parent isn't an easy job. At first she'll be mad at me but eventually she'll see it was for the best."

"I'm not going to stop caring about her, you know? You can separate us all you want but it's not going to change anything," I warned, dropping the fishing pole in my hands and storming off to the truck. I was almost tempted to drive off and leave him there since I was so angry, but I knew I couldn't. After about twenty minutes of cooling off, I walked back out on the deck and gathered up all the stuff I dragged out. Charlie followed behind silently and attempted to get in the truck on his own. Reluctantly, he finally accepted my help.

Once again we drove silently towards his house. I parked in front of the house and got out to help him into his wheelchair. Before he got out he turned to me with a serious expression.

"If you had the chance to see either of your parents again, no matter what the cost would you do it?" he asked.

I thought about it and swallowed against the lump forming in my throat. "Yes," I answered.

He nodded his head and almost appeared to be fighting back tears. "Then I think we understand each other."

He didn't elaborate on what exactly he meant by his comment. I was left with even more questions and even more concern for the possibility of this nightmare of Bella leaving all summer coming true.

I helped Charlie into the house and didn't see Bella anywhere around. I asked permission to go upstairs just to check on her, which Charlie agreed to. I walked up the steps and down the hall to Bella's room. Inside, Bella was sitting in her window, staring out emotionlessly.

"Bella, are you alright?" I asked quietly.

"I'm fine," she answered unconvincingly.

I walked in and sat down next to her, reaching out for her hand. "Why did you call him?"

"I told you, I didn't know what was wrong with you. I wanted to make sure Charlie was okay, and I needed to know what happened to you. I was scared, Bella. I've never seen you like that before. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I understand. I'm just mad at him, and I need you to be on my side."

"I am on your side. I just spent all afternoon with him trying to convince him not to make you go."

"Did it work?" she asked, finally turning her head to look at me.

"I don't know. But Bella, I want you to know that no matter what, nothing is going to change. Even if you do have to spend all summer there, I'll still be here when you get back."

"What if you need me, though? What if while I'm gone you start drinking again?"

"You're only a phone call away. I promise you that won't happen. I won't let it. Maybe I'll get a summertime job to fight the boredom and long days without you. I'll be fine. You don't need to feel responsible for me."

"I just don't want to go. I don't know my mom. I've never known her. She left me and never looked back. She doesn't care about me, so why should I care about her?"

"Just because you might have to go there doesn't mean you have to care about her. But you know what?" I asked pulling her into my arms and holding her tightly. "I think you do care and that's why this is so hard. You're afraid of being hurt again."

She snuggled into my chest and sighed. "Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked. "We very well may be separated for a very long time soon, and I don't want to waste any time we still have together."

"I wish I could, Bella. But you know your father would never allow it. I'll be back first thing in the morning. I can drive you to work, and I'll be there when you get out so we can spend all day together."

"Please, Edward," she begged. "I don't want to be alone. After my dad goes to sleep you can sneak up through the window."

Bella," I complained. "This is part of the reason he's sending you there in the first place. He doesn't want me around you. He thinks I'm a bad influence and corrupting you or something. If we get caught he'll go ballistic. Believe me, I want nothing more than to stay here with you, but I can't."

"Fine," she said rolling her eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon then."

I sighed contemplatively. I didn't want her upset. "I don't want you to be mad at me."

"I'm not," she assured. "Now just go before my dad starts calling for you."

She pulled away from me and stared back out though the window. "I'll see you tomorrow," I promised.

She nodded her head but didn't look at me. With a huge regret, I walked back downstairs to find Charlie in the living room watching TV like he always does.

"Is she coming down?" he asked.

"I don't think so. She's still pretty upset."

"I'm sure in a few days she'll be fine," he said.

"I think you're making a huge mistake, Charlie," I challenged. "Sending her away isn't going to keep us apart. You're only going to push her away. If you love her at all then you wouldn't do this to her."

I stormed out the door and took off walking down the road angrily.

I only got about a hundred feet before I stopped and mulled over what I was doing. Bella needed me to support her, just like she'd always done for me, and I wasn't. With a heavy sigh, I decided I didn't want to leave Bella there alone. I turned around and started walking back. Once I got back to Bella's house, I peeked through the window and saw Charlie still sitting in his chair just about ready to fall asleep. I was pretty sure he was exhausted after what happened last night so he would probably sleep well tonight.

I walked around to the back of the house and attempted to climb the tree by Bella's house. The first attempt, my foot slipped and I fell a few feet. The second attempt, I grabbed a branch, which poked my hand. On the third attempt, I finally made it up to the ledge of her window. Tapping quietly on her window, I waited for her to come let me in. She almost looked scared when she peeked through her blinds. I smiled and waved so she knew it was me.

She opened the window with a shocked look on her face. "What are you doing?" she asked with a gasp.

"Isn't this what you wanted me to do?"

"Yes, but I didn't think you would actually do it."

"I can leave if you want me to," I suggested beginning to turn back towards the window.

"No!" she squealed a little too loudly while grabbing for my wrist.

"Shhhh," I ordered with a chuckle as she pulled me through the window. She wrapped her arms around my neck and held me tightly. "I can't believe you came back."

"You needed me," I reminded. "You've always been there for me, and I need to do the same for you."

She grinned from ear to ear before tightening her arms and kissing me. My arms instinctively wrapped around her and walked her towards the bed while we continued to kiss. All my senses became blinded by what was happening. I laid her down on the bed and crawled over top of her.

"Edward," she whispered between kisses. I barely acknowledged her before attacking her neck with kisses and licks. My hand roamed down her chest before I pulled the hem of her shirt up and brushed my fingers against her stomach. I moaned at the feel of her stomach. I ventured up further daring to touch her in spots I'd only dreamed of. "Edward, please stop."

With a jerk I pulled my hands away from her and sat up on the bed. I stared down at her below me and instantly felt the guilt rush through me.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Bella. I didn't mean…"

"I'm okay. Stop freaking out," she interrupted. She leaned up and placed her head against my chest. "I want, Edward. I do. I'm just nervous. I don't want my first time to be here where I know my dad is right down stairs."

"You're serious? You really want to?" I asked, suddenly getting very excited about what this could mean."

"I think so. I just want it to be special," she answered bashfully.

I smiled feeling elated at this news. "It will be," I promised tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

I lay back down on the bed and brought her into my arms, tucking her nicely into my side. As we laid there I drew circles against her arm and thought about what she admitted.

"I'm scared," Bella whispered against my chest.

"You don't need to be. I'll be gentle and if you want me stop at any point I will," I assured.

"I'm not scared of that," she laughed. She tilted her head up, resting her chin on my chest as she looked into my eyes. "I'm not scared of you hurting me. I'm scared my mom will."

"I know."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Not much to say other than go nominate some stories for the Emerging Swan Awards. We've already have quite a few nominations for one-shots and short stories but we're hoping for a few more. The link is on my profile.**

**Thank you astonmartin823 for your amazing beta skills and being a constant friend and support.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or the characters involved.**

Prom was just days away and two weeks after prom we would be finished with our junior year of high school. If someone would have asked me at the beginning of the school year if this is where I would be, I would have laughed at them. I never imagined my life would turn around so drastically just because of a girl. A girl I would do absolutely anything for. She was the entire purpose for my existence. I was no one before her. I would have rather died before, but now I have something and someone to live for.

Her dad was still pushing the idea of Bella visiting her mother for the summer, but not as forcefully. He finally left it up to her to decide but he really wanted her to give it some thought and not just make her decision based on me or her resentment towards her mother. He wanted Bella to do what she thought was best for her. Bella still stood her ground and told him she didn't want to go. I was so proud of her for standing up to her dad. It was no secret she's always been a daddy's girl and always did everything her dad said. The first time Bella and I really talked she even admitted to breaking up with a guy because her dad didn't like him. I'm glad she didn't do that with me. I know Charlie doesn't care for me much even though I try really hard to earn his approval. It seems I always mess up in some way.

To prevent from having another reason for Charlie to dislike me I tried to stay neutral in the argument about going to Florida. Instead of trying to convince Bella to stay or to defy her father I just tried to stand by her and support whatever decision she made. As much as it would kill me to spend the entire summer without her I wanted her to do what was right for her. I didn't want to be a factor in what she wanted to do. I was beginning to come to terms that in a year she would be going off to college, and not just any college. Bella was smart. She was bound to get into a top college, which I would never be able to get into.

As much as these thoughts were weighing on my mind as well as Bella's, I insisted she not think about any of them while at the prom. We were supposed to have fun and make this a night to remember. As cliché as it sounded, I wanted this to be a special night. I wanted it to be everything I'd been hoping and dreaming for. I wanted this to be the greatest night of our lives.

"Are you almost ready?" Carlisle asked from my bedroom door while I fumbled with my tie. I stood in front of my mirror completely clueless how to tie it around my neck.

"Almost."

"Do you want some help?" he asked chuckling under his breath.

"Please," I accepted turning towards him. He walked into my room with a smirk on his face and began to twist and tuck the tie to make it perfect.

"What time do you plan to pick Bella up?"

"Seven. We have dinner reservations at eight-thirty. Then we'll head over to the prom," I answered anxiously, giving him more information than he asked for.

"Are you prepared?" he asked taking a step back and nervously running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah," I replied. I quickly turned around and grabbed my tux jacket off my bed and slipped it on. I couldn't look at him knowing what he was really trying to ask. He knew Bella and I were planning to stay in Port Angeles for the night and even though we told Carlisle, Esme, and Charlie it was a group of us who were all staying at the hotel. I'm pretty sure they weren't stupid about what was really going on, though.

I grabbed my wallet and keys off my nightstand and picked up my duffle bag off my bed. Bella had left her truck with me so I could easily pick her up before the prom. I turned around, only to come face to face with Carlisle standing in the doorway holding up the keys to the Mercedes.

"Seriously?" I asked excitedly. This is only the second time he'd let me drive it and the first time was only for a few hours not overnight.

"I wasn't going to, but Esme insisted. She wants Bella to have the best tonight. She has a soft spot for Bella."

I chuckled taking the keys from his hands. "Everyone does. Thanks, Carlisle. I'll be careful."

I stepped around him and headed down the hall. "Hey Edward?" Carlisle called after me. I stopped and turned around towards him. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm proud of you. These last few months I've seen a huge change in you and I like seeing you happy again. I know Bella has a big part in your change but I think you had an even bigger part in turning your life around."

"Thanks, Carlisle." I took a couple steps down the stairs trying to hurry before I was late.

"Hey Edward?" he stopped again.

"Yeah?" I answered irritably stopping once again.

"Don't screw it up tonight," he warned.

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "I won't." Quickly trying to get away I took two steps at a time down the stairs. I'm surprised I didn't fall and break my neck. I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. I flew by Esme who tried to stop me for pictures but I insisted I didn't have time because I was already running late. I jumped into the Mercedes and took off down the road rather quickly. To say I was anxious for this night would be an understatement.

It irritated me that Carlisle was warning me to not screw things up tonight. I'm sure he knew what I had planned but the thought of him thinking I was going to hurt Bella made me mad. I'd never do anything to intentionally hurt her. If we got to the hotel and she decided she didn't want to go through with it I wasn't going to force her. I hated how he insinuated I would.

I parked the car in front of Bella's house and quickly ran up the steps to her front door. The door opened before I could knock. Charlie was in his wheelchair giving me the evil eye while he allowed me in the house.

"Evening, Charlie," I greeted politely. He grumbled in response.

"Bella isn't ready yet. She'll be down in a few minutes."

"Okay."

I walked into the living room and sat down on the couch while Charlie followed behind and turned on the TV.

"So you two are staying the night at the hotel?" he asked with an accusatory tone.

"Yes Sir. The prom goes until one in the morning, and a lot of thought it would be best to stay in Port Angeles for the night so we don't have to drive back so late.

"There won't be any alcohol at this hotel, will there?" he questioned.

"No Sir. It's just a place for us to crash after the prom. I promise there won't be any alcohol or drugs of any kind."

He nodded his head in acceptance and turned back to the TV. I was surprised he didn't ask questions about Bella and I sharing a room together. I thought that would have been a bigger concern of his than whether or not drugs and alcohol were at the hotel.

A few minutes later Bella walked down the stairs rather slowly, in a pink and black dress which hit right above her knees and sort of flared out a little. Her hair was pulled back in loose curls and her make-up gave her a shimmery glow. She was smiling from ear to ear with excitement, which I hadn't seen for quite a while. She was gorgeous and took my breath away. I smiled at her as she reached me at the bottom of the stairs. I wanted so badly to kiss her but her dad was right there so I knew I couldn't.

"You look beautiful," I expressed breathlessly.

She ducked her head bashfully and grinned. "Thank you. Working those extra hours really helped with affording a prom dress."

I chuckled and nodded my head. I put my arm out for her to link her arm around mine, which she did right after kissing her dad on the forehead and telling him goodbye. I grabbed Bella's backpack off the floor and opened the front door for her to lead her out.

"Edward?" Charlie called. My heart skipped the minute I heard him say my name. I knew it was too easy. I stopped and turned back around towards him while Bella went out to the car to put her bag in the backseat. Instead of hearing words of warning like I expected, he extended his hand out to mine. I was taken aback for a moment. Was he actually in a way accepting me? I extended my hand to his and shook his hand strongly. Just as I was about to let go he pulled me close to him with a jerk and looked me directly in the eyes with a stern look. "If you hurt her I swear to God I will make sure you never see the light of day again." I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat.

"Understood, Sir."

He let go of my hand roughly and gestured for me to leave. Suddenly the thought of go through with having sex with Bella tonight didn't seem like such a good idea.

I got in the car next to Bella and placed my hands on the steering wheel while staring out on front of me with a blank stare.

"What did my dad say?" Bella asked.

I wanted to answer her but the words wouldn't come out right. Instead, I just leaned over and kissed her long and hard. The softness of her lips and the sweet taste of her mouth would calm me down so I could get through the night. My hand curled around her neck holding her close to me while my lips moved against hers and our tongues caressed the other. She placed her hand on my chest and pushed slightly while she giggled into my mouth. I pulled away breathlessly and leaned my forehead against hers.

"Are you getting started a little early tonight?" she asked with a mischievous expression. I chuckled at her question and sat back in my seat.

"Would that be a bad thing?" I asked smiling over at her.

"No," she answered bolting forward and kissing me again. I laughed against her lips before letting myself go in the kiss. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her in even closer. Her fingers ran through my hair and curled around the back of my neck.

"Bella," I said though our kissing. She hummed in response while moving her body even closer to mine. It was becoming even harder to concentrate and not let this go farther. Unfortunately, we couldn't do this in front of her house. I'm sure her dad was probably in the house watching us from the window. I had to get us out of here. "Bella, we need to go." I pulled away and gently caressed her cheek. "I have a prom to get you to."

She sat back in her seat and put on her seatbelt. I started up the car and headed out on the road. Once we were out on the main highway I reached over and took her hand in mine bringing it to my lips and kissing her knuckles. "Are you excited?" I asked.

"For the prom or something else?" she countered playfully.

I smirked at her question. "For the prom," I clarified.

"Yeah, I guess. Dances aren't really my thing. I'm a terrible dancer. I'm sure by the end of the night you'll have black and blue toes."

I laughed and shook my head. "I guess we won't be doing much dancing then."

"We could skip the prom all together you know?" she suggested coyly. I smiled at the thought and seriously considered taking her up on the offer. Maybe she was as eager as I was for this night. However, we needed to at least make an appearance at the prom. Esme was expecting prom pictures of us.

"Are you a little eager tonight?" I asked.

"I just want to be with you without anyone else around for as long as I can before I'm forced to leave," she answered.

"Your dad is still forcing you to go?"

"He's not necessarily forcing me, but he's making it apparent if I don't decide to go on my own he may send me anyhow. I don't see the point of him giving me a choice when he's just going to end up making me go anyway. I don't want to go. If she wants to see me she can come here."

"I like that idea better," I agreed. I don't think you should be forced to go there to visit her when you don't want to. If she wants to see you she should be the one to make the sacrifices."

"That's exactly what I said. But my dad doesn't think she will. He'd rather send me away."

I squeezed her hand and rubbed my thumb across her knuckles in comfort. "I'm sure it'll work out. But let's not think about the summer or being separated tonight. Let's just focus on being together and having fun."

She smiled and nodded her head in agreement. The drive to the restaurant took no time at all. I took her to a small Italian restaurant which happened to be a big spot for couples who would be attending the prom to go to. It was crowded and loud ruining the whole mood I was hoping for. I wanted this whole night to be very romantic and peaceful to relax her and set the mood for later tonight. As much as she acted like she was eager and willing, I still had a small inkling she was scared. Even though dinner didn't turn out exactly like I had hoped she still seemed to be having a good time.

After we finished eating we went over to the hotel and checked into our room before going down to the banquet room where the prom was. I placed our bags on the chair in the room and turned on a couple lights. Bella nervously glanced around the room and laid her eyes upon the bed. I watched as she bit the side of her cheek and slowly walked over to the edge and sat down. Slowly, I walked over and sat down next to her causing her to jump slightly. I think she tried to hide it so I wouldn't notice, but I did.

"We don't have to do anything you aren't ready for," I reminded. "Just because we talked about it doesn't mean we have to."

Determinedly she raised her head and took a deep breath. "I'm not going to change my mind. I want to do this."

I kissed her gently on the lips and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear that had come loose. "Why don't we go to the prom first?" I linked my fingers around hers and helped her to her feet to lead her out of the room and down to the first floor where the main hall was. I opened the doors and walked her in. Inside there were huge silver stars hanging from the ceiling and a mirror ball in the middle shining little flashes of light all over the room. Loud music played from the stage where a DJ stood. The crowd of people in the room was overwhelming. There was barely room to walk amongst the people. The dance floor was overcrowded and there weren't any tables available to sit at.

"I think it would have been a better idea for them to have this in the high school gym," I shouted to Bella over the loud music. She laughed and agreed with a nod. "Come on." I took her hand tightly in mine and led her through the throngs of people out to the dance floor.

"What are you doing?" she asked, terrified when she realized I had stopped and turned her towards me. I smirked while wrapping my arms around her waist and began to sway us slowly on the dance floor.

"I'm dancing with my girlfriend at the prom," I answered.

"But I told you, I can't dance."

"I don't care. You don't have to dance, just move with me."

She nervously looked down at her feet and then around the room at all the people who were near us. "Edward," she whined with hesitant eyes.

"Don't, Bella," I warned. "I want to dance with you. Humor me, please?"

She took a deep breath before placing her arms around my neck and beginning to move with me. "I can't believe you're making me do this."

"God forbid I make you dance with me at prom of all things," I teased. She smirked up at me and tightened her arms around my neck.

We barely danced at all. It was more like just swaying back and forth in one spot, but it was nice. I just wanted us to have fun. I wanted tonight to be special like she wanted. I didn't want her to have any regrets.

"Can I ask you something?" I began.

"What?"

"Do you really want to sleep with me tonight or are you just agreeing to it to get back at your dad?"

She looked up at me with a hurt and confused expression. "Why would you think that?" she questioned.

"Because when we got to the hotel room and you looked at the bed you seemed very nervous. You even jumped when I sat down next to you. I don't want you to be scared."

"Edward, I can't help it. I am scared. I'm scared I won't do it right. I'm scared I'll do something to screw everything up. I'm scared it'll hurt. But most importantly, I'm scared you won't want me afterwards."

"I've told you before that'll never happen. Nothing will ever make me want to break up with you. How could I possibly break up with you when you're the only reason I'm still here? I'd probably be dead by now if it wasn't for you. You changed me and made remember the person I was before my dad died. I owe you so much. I'll never hurt you, Bella."

She leaned against my chest and let out a sigh of relief. "Even if I don't know what I'm doing when we do…have sex?"

"Do you think I'm some sort of expert?" I asked. "I'm not entirely sure what we're doing either. But it'll be fine. We can figure it out together. They do have porn videos in the hotel." Her head shot up and she stared up at me with wide eyes. I laughed and pulled her in even closer. "I'm kidding."

"Not funny."

I laughed again before quickly giving her a kiss on the lips. "Do you want to sit down for a while?" I didn't even need to finish the sentence before she was nodding her head. I took her hand in mine and led her to a table in the back corner where only a couple other people were sitting. "I'll go get us some punch. Do you want anything else?" I asked after helping her to a chair.

"No, punch is fine."

I walked across the crowded room to where the punch bowl was and began to pour to cups.

"Do you want a little liquid courage in that cup?" someone asked from behind me. I quickly turned around, coming face to face with Mike.

"Hi, Mike. I haven't seen you around for a while," I greeted politely. Moments later I saw Tyler come around the corner and start to come towards me. Neither of them looked too happy.

"Look at you all spiffed up in this monkey suit," Mike observed pulling on the corner of my jacket with a disgusted look on his face. "You look like a moron."

"I guess that's what you wanted though, right? To look like an idiot who can't keep his dick out of the cookie jar." Tyler added causing me to get angry.

"Here, Edward why don't I give you that liquid courage I mentioned a second ago," Mike said pouring a little tequila into each cup from a small flask.

"Didn't you hear, Mike?" Tyler began. "Edward has gone straight. He doesn't drink anymore. No, instead he turns people in and gets all of us in trouble."

"I didn't turn anyone in," I defended.

"Sure you didn't," Mike said with a sarcastic look. "You know, being the only one who knew where we hang out and what we do there. Do you even realize you had all of us arrested? Now all of us have to do community service. The cops even mentioned how we give people drugs in their alcohol to fuck them up for fun and the only one who would have said anything about that, is you since well… since we did it to you." They both laughed again at their joke.

"Look, I don't know what you two are talking about. I didn't turn anyone in and I never said anything about what you guys did to me back in January. I've just distanced myself from all of it for my own sake."

"We aren't stupid, Edward," Tyler added. "We know that little bitch of a girlfriend you have has been working to have us arrested and ran out of school, possibly the whole town. She's been working with her dad and the rest of the cops to have us caught. You were just stupid enough to fall for it and let her get into your head so she could get information."

"Bella didn't do anything either," I defended. "And don't call her a bitch." I placed the cups down on the table trying to figure out how to get out of this. I had no idea what they were talking about or why they were accusing me of doing this.

"Ah, look he's defending her honor," Mike mocked.

"What do you want from me?" I asked getting madder by the minute.

They looked at each other and laughed. "Bella must be one hell of a fuck if you've been playing this game with her for this long and letting her manipulate you into giving her information. Maybe if I work at the fucking soup kitchen like Eddie Boy here does I can get a little action from Bella too," Mike teased making both of them laugh again. My jaw and fist tightened and before I even knew what I was doing I had punched Mike in the mouth causing him to fall to the floor. Tyler grabbed me from behind and pulled me off getting in a lucky punch into my stomach knocking the wind out of me. While I tried to gain my breath Mike got off the floor and punched me in the face. Blood started pouring out of my nose from the blow and for a moment I couldn't see anything. When I came back to, I charged towards Mike knocking him against a table and spilling the punch all over both of us. I hit him in the face relentlessly and only stopped when I was pulled off of him by a chaperoning teacher.

I lunged back towards him when another teacher helped Mike off the floor but the teacher holding me back wouldn't let go. Looking around at the gawking crowd I saw Bella staring at me with horror in her face. She had tears in her eyes and her chin quivered.

"What the hell is going on?" a teacher shouted standing in between us. I noticed Tyler took off since he was nowhere to be seen.

"Edward attacked me for no reason," Mike replied. "I was only trying to warn him about bringing alcohol in here when I saw he was pouring some into his and Bella's cups."

"You're a fucking liar," I shouted, trying to get loose once again.

"Calm down, Edward," Mr. Snow a math teacher at our school ordered while tightening his grip around me.

Not five seconds later two cops burst through the door and pushed their way through the crowd. Handcuffs were slapped on both mine and Mike's hands and we were dragged out of the room.

The last thing I saw as I left was Bella's hurt and fearful expression. I fucked up big time and ruined this entire night. Everything I had planned had suddenly come to a halting crash. If Bella ever talked to me again after this I'd be shocked.

**Thanks for reading :)**

**Is everyone ready for some angst? It's coming up.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Some of you may already know this but I'm taking off the month of September to deal with some RL issues. I'll be back in October and hopefully posting on a normal schedule again. **

**Thank you so much Astonmartin823 for beta'ing this story so quickly. You are awesome and such a good friend.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight. No copyright infringement intended.**

After spending a couple hours in jail, I was brought before the judge. Carlisle was there to bail me out after I was given whatever sentence they had for me. I didn't understand why I was the one arrested when it wasn't even my fault what happened. Mike was taken to the hospital, but released a few hours later after he told the cops some bogus story about how I attacked him and I was the one who brought the alcohol to the prom. With the record I already had, it wasn't hard for the cops to believe him. They never even asked me what really happened, which was such bullshit. Mike was just sleazy enough to get off and let me take the fall for what happened.

I knew I should have controlled my temper better, but listening to him say shit about Bella pissed me off and I reacted. It's my own fault for falling into his trap. It was probably his plan all along. Because of him I ruined what was supposed to be a perfect night with Bella. If she was even allowed to talk to me anymore, she probably wouldn't want to anyway. The look on her face when I was taken out of the dance in handcuffs was heart-wrenching. She looked like someone had just gutted her. I left her at the prom alone and helpless.

"What do you have to say for yourself this time, Edward?" the judge, whom I'd seen numerous times before, asked.

"I'm sorry. It was a huge mistake. I didn't intend to get in a fight at the prom. I was provoked," I explained.

"I see," he replied with an unbelieving tone. "Are you aware you broke the victim's nose and jaw as well as gave him a black eye? You're telling me that was a mistake and you didn't intend to do all those things to him? It was a just an accident? You seem to have quite the record, Edward. Why should I believe you this time?"

"Because I'm telling you the truth," I shouted getting angry at his response. "Mike was making rude comments about my girlfriend and I attacked him. I admit I made a mistake, but I didn't intend to hurt him."

He sighed and sat back in his seat. "I talked to your uncle and he said you have made some huge improvements the last few months. Part of me wants to believe you but the other part wonders if it's too late."

"It's not too late. I've been doing really well for months. You have my record in front of you. When's the last time I fucked up?" He gave me a stern look when I used a curse word.

"I'm going to let you off easy this time with some restrictions. You'll be on probation for the next six months. You'll need to meet with your assigned probation officer once a month. In addition to that, I'm making a recommendation for you to see a counselor once a week for the six months."

"I already do." His eyebrow raised and his jaw tightened when I interrupted him.

"You will be restricted to your hometown for those six months," he continued, ignoring my comment. "You will only be allowed to leave the town with permission from your probation officer and your legal guardian. And lastly, you will be required to stay at least one hundred feet away from the victim. If any of these restrictions are broken, you will face jail time. You only have a couple weeks before you're a legal adult. I'd start thinking about your future before you end up in prison for a very long time. I'm letting you off as a minor but next time you won't be so lucky."

"I understand, Sir." I was released from the handcuffs and sent to sign paperwork before I went home with Carlisle.

I could tell Carlisle was not happy as we walked out of the court room. I followed behind him and got into his car he obviously must have picked up from the hotel. Carlisle never said a word as he drove out of the town and back towards Forks.

"Is Bella still at the hotel?" I asked.

"No," he answered. "Esme came and drove her home."

"I need to talk to her. I need to explain what happened."

"What _did_ happen, Edward? I thought you were past this? I thought you were growing up?"

I sighed heavily and rolled my eyes. "You don't believe what I told the judge, do you?"

"I want to, Edward, but this just seems like more of the same as before. Is this ever going to end?"

"I wasn't lying. Mike was saying crap about Bella. What did you want me to do, just stand there and let him say what he was saying? I had to defend her."

"I'm not saying I don't believe you. I'm saying there are other ways to handle things without getting in a physical fight with someone, especially when you already have an extensive record. You aren't always going to be able to get off so easily," he warned.

"I know, Carlisle. I fucked up again and I'm sure I will a hundred times more. I'm just a fucked up kid who shouldn't be here anymore. I don't deserve to be here. I should have died with my parents so no one would have to suffer being around me."

"Don't you dare say that ever again," he shouted angrily. I rolled my eyes and huffed dramatically while he did much of the same gestures I was. "Look, I get you were trying to defend Bella, but you have to start thinking about how your actions are going to affect your future. I don't think Bella is going to want to visit you in prison every week, do you? I just don't want to do this with you anymore."

"I've never asked you to do anything for me. You don't always have to bail me out."

He grumbled again and pulled over to the side of the road. "Fine, from now on you can sit in jail for all I care. If you aren't going to care about your own life, then there's no reason for anyone else to." He stepped out of the car and walked a few feet in front leaning against the hood with his arms crossed against his chest. I sat there staring out at him with confusion running through me. I didn't know what he was doing of what he wanted me to do. I just sat there in the passenger seat watching him look up at the sky and run his hands through his hair. A couple times he would walk a few paces in front of him then come right back. It looked like he was mumbling something to himself but I couldn't hear him. He did this for a good fifteen minutes before getting back in the car and pulling back out on the road. He never said another word all the way home.

Pulling into the driveway of the house, I could see the light still on. Esme came running out to meet us with a pained expression across her face. She ran towards me and wrapped her arms around my neck. I could hear her soft cries against my ear as she hugged me. I didn't hug her back. I just stood there until she was done. "How bad is it this time?" she wondered, while walking over to Carlisle, giving him a hug and kiss and waiting for the dreaded answer of how I fucked up again.

"Well, he's on probation, he can't leave Forks, he has to stay away from Mike…"

"No problem there," I added, interrupting Carlisle. I had no intention of being in the same vicinity as Mike if I could help it.

"Anyway," Carlisle continued. "He's going to be watched fairly close for the next few months."

"Did you talk to Bella?" I asked Esme, ignoring everything Carlisle was saying.

"We talked a little during the drive home," Esme said. "She's pretty upset. I think it would be good to give her a few days to calm down."

"I need to explain."

"Give it some time," Carlisle ordered. "It's not just Bella you need to worry about. I'm sure Charlie isn't going to be thrilled about what happened either."

I angrily walked up the steps and up to my room, slamming the door behind me. I plopped down on my bed and stared at my ceiling. Everything was falling apart. I needed to fix things with Bella. She needed to understand what happened.

I waited until I heard Esme and Carlisle go to bed, then snuck downstairs and out the front door. If I'd climbed up to Bella's room before I could do it again. I couldn't wait for her to cool down. I had to explain now.

It only took me a few minutes to run to Bella's house. All the lights in the house were off, even Bella's. I worried about scaring her but I had to talk to her. I carefully climbed up the tree and was surprised when I got to her window to find it wide open. It was almost like she was expecting me to come. As quietly as I could, I climbed through her window. I was stunned when I saw her sitting on the edge of her bed in the dark. Her eyes shined from unshed tears as her eyes met mine. I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat and stood motionless as I stared at her.

"Why?" she asked, her voice weak from crying.

"I'm sorry. Mike was saying stuff about you. I had to defend you."

"Mike always says crap about me. It's nothing new, Edward. Why couldn't you let it go and walk away? This night was supposed to be special."

"I know. I fucked up, Bella. I'm sorry. Please forgive me," I begged.

She stood from her bed and slowly walked closer to me. She rested her forehead against my chest and let out a sigh of relief. My arms instinctively pulled her into me.

As much as I wanted to hear the words of forgiveness from her, the simple embrace we shared was her unspoken way of telling me she forgave me. Bella was far too forgiving of all the shit I put her through. I didn't deserve her kindness or her mercy. I didn't deserve to be loved as much as I was by her.

I'd never told anyone I loved them. The words had never left my lips. Even with my dad, we never said it. It was an unspoken understanding. I'd never cared about anyone enough to actually want to say it. In that moment I knew I loved Bella, but I couldn't say it. The words wouldn't come. I stood there silently holding her in my arms and breathing her in hoping somehow she could forgive me once again for not being everything she deserved.

I spent the night with her, holding her in my arms and doing my best to comfort her. It's all I could offer her. We didn't talk about what happened anymore. She didn't want to know what Mike said or why I punched him. She just let it go so simply.

In the morning, before she woke up I snuck out of her room and walked downstairs. I knew Charlie was probably going to be upset knowing I'd been in her room all night, but in that moment I didn't care. I needed to make things right with Charlie just as much as I did with Bella. Charlie would be much harder though.

The sound of my footsteps alerted him and he turned towards me. His face was filled with anger. "What are you doing in my house?" he asked through a clenched jaw.

"I had to see Bella. I needed her to understand what happened. I need you to understand."

"I don't want to know," he said. "I want you out of my house."

"Sir, I was trying to defend your daughter from some guys who harass her at school," I explained, despite his request to not know. For a split second I thought he might be listening to what I had to say. "I know there were better ways I could have handled it, but I reacted. I didn't mean to hurt Bella or make you upset. I'm hoping you can forgive me."

"What were you doing upstairs? Were you up there all night? How many times have you snuck up there?" he asked. I contemplated whether or not to be honest or lie to him. The look on his face made me think he probably already knew. If I lied it might make things a lot worse than they already were.

"A couple times," I admitted. "It's only been for Bella's sake. Sometimes she needs someone to hold her and tell her everything will be alright."

His face turned red with anger. His eyes burned into my face like he wanted to kill me. For a split second I worried for my life. "Get out, Edward. I don't want you to come back to this house ever again. If I find out you're sneaking into her room, I will call the cops. If I need to I'll get a restraining order against you."

"Sir, please don't do this," I pleaded breathlessly. "You can't take her away from me."

"She's my daughter and I will do what I think is best for her. Now leave," he ordered, pointing towards the door. "I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt and trust my daughter's decisions but she's apparently not thinking clearly enough to make wise ones."

"Charlie, I love her. I can't live without her," I admitted on the verge of tears. I hoped my confession would soften him a little, but unfortunately I think it only made things worse.

"She's leaving for Florida as soon as the school year is over. I've made my decision and nothing you or she says will change my mind. Now get out and don't come back."

I looked back towards the stairs hoping maybe Bella would come down and try to stop this. She always had a way of softening her dad and getting her way, but she never came. I walked out of the house and down the sidewalk while Charlie watched me walk away to be sure I didn't come back.

I knew getting Charlie to forgive me for what happened was going to be tough, but I thought maybe after all these months he would at least give me the benefit of the doubt and let me explain myself. Now even if Bella had forgiven me, Charlie wouldn't. He was going to send her away because of me.

I slowly made the trek home and walked straight to my room not even saying a word to Carlisle or Esme as I passed both of them on the way in.

Later in the day I called Emmett and asked if I could come over. He quickly agreed to come get me, knowing by the sound of my voice something was wrong. He picked me up and offered to take me to get something to eat. I hadn't even realized I hadn't eaten anything since the night before. We drove to the small diner on the outskirts of town and ordered a couple burgers.

"So what's going on?" he questioned. Within minutes I had told him the entire story of what happened at the prom, with Carlisle, and at Bella's house. After I was done, he leaned back in his seat sighing dramatically. Even when the food was served he didn't move to eat right away. His eyes focused on me like he wanted to say something but didn't know quite how to say it without making me upset.

"Just say it," I ordered, rolling my eyes at his silent stare.

"You fucked up bad this time, Edward. I don't know what you want me to do to help. I can't make Bella's father let you see her," he said.

"I'm not asking you to do anything," I countered. "I just needed some advice. What do I say to him to make him change his mind?"

"I don't know if there's anything you can say. He's going to need to know he can trust you again."

"He's going to send her away. She'll be forced to go to Florida to stay with her mom, whom she hasn't seen or heard from since she was six years old. I can't let him do that to her," I complained.

"To be honest, Edward, it might be a good idea for everyone if you spent some time apart." I glared at him and breathed out of my nose causing my nostrils to flare. "Here me out first," he ordered, defensively holding his hands out in front of him. "You need to earn Charlie's trust again. Give it a summer to change your whole outlook on everything. Toe the line for a while so when Bella comes back hopefully by then Charlie will see you as a different, more mature person. You can even come work for me more than you already do. I know I haven't had much for you to do lately, but I'll find something to keep you busy over the summer. If Charlie and even Carlisle and Esme see you as making an effort maybe things will be different. I think it would be good for Bella to spread her wings a little anyway. She's never had an adventure like going to Florida. Give her some space so she can find herself."

"She doesn't want to go to Florida, though. She doesn't want to see her mom. I won't let her go. I'll protect her. Would you want to see your mom after she abandoned you as a young child?" I asked.

"Would you want to see your mom even though you've never even met her?" he countered.

"That's different. My mom didn't have a choice. Bella's mom did and she chose to leave Bella behind."

"Maybe she had good reason for leaving her behind," he argued further.

"Even if she did why come back into Bella's life after all these years and cause her more heartache?"

"I don't know the answer to that, all I know is if you want Bella in your life then you need to let things go and not interfere with what Charlie decides. You can't get mad at him for doing what he thinks is best for his daughter."

"I won't let him send her away," I argued angrily.

He grumbled frustratingly. "Whatever, Edward," he said giving up with a toss of his hands. "I'm trying to help but you don't seem to want my advice so I don't know what you want me to do."

"You aren't really helping."

"No, you don't think I am because I'm not saying what you wanted to hear. Not everyone is going to see things the same way you do. I'm sure Charlie and Bella's mom have good reason for wanting her to go to Florida for the summer. I almost wonder if it's more to do with Bella, than with trying to keep her away from you. I've known Bella and Charlie for quite some time and he genuinely seems to like you. Believe me, if he didn't you wouldn't have lasted this long. No boy who has ever shown an interest in Bella has lasted longer than the first date. Just let it go for now and I'm sure with time it'll blow over. Charlie is just angry at the moment and needs some time. Give him that and stop trying to interfere."

Emmett irritated me. Why did he have to agree with everyone else? Why couldn't anyone ever agree with me for a change? It felt like everyone was against me.

We ate silently and left right after we were done. Emmett tried to give me words of encouragement during the drive home and again offered to let me work even more. I had grown bored of the small jobs I did for him and on most days didn't even go. He didn't seem to care since I wasn't technically an employee. I just did odd jobs for him. It wasn't anything special. I told him I'd think about it and it all depended on Bella.

Once I was home I went straight to my room and tried to call Bella. Charlie answered and told me not to call anymore. I was so angry at him I actually threw my cell phone across the room. I paced my bedroom floor for quite a while trying to decide whether I should go over to her house and sneak in or if I should stay away. The last thing I needed was to be arrested again or have a restraining order against me. I ended up staying home and staring at my ceiling most of the night while trying to figure out what to do to make this better. Nothing I thought of seemed to do any good though. No matter what I thought of I would end up hurting Bella in some way. I started to question if everyone was right. Maybe Bella and I shouldn't be together anymore. Maybe it would be best for her to go away so she could get over me. It was my fault she was being sent to spend the summer with her mom anyway. It was my fault she was being locked away now. Everything was always my fault. I killed my mother, I killed my father, and now I was taking Bella's life away by being with her. She would be better off without me.

**End note: Not only am I hosting the _Emerging Swan Awards_ but I was also nominated for a few things. I'd really appreciate if everyone went and voted for your favorite under appreciated stories/authors. There are some really great stories/authors in the mix who truly deserve some recognition. It would be awesome if I got a few votes but I'm up against some really great authors. I'm just so excited to be bringing some joy into the fandom with these awards. I can't tell you how happy it makes me when we get a tweet or PM thanking us and telling us how excited they are. It's such a great feeling. :) Anyway, the link is on my profile or you can just google Emerging Swan Awards. Please go vote!**


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